Petroleum
by oh.industria
Summary: AU. In which 16-year-old Neji loves 25-year-old Gaara too much to let him go. Gaara/Neji, side NaruSasu, other pairings. Chapter 11: First time in the pool.
1. catch me if you can

i don't own naruto.

warnings: AU, oocness, sex with a minor, uhhh... angst, violence, aaaannd alcohol use as well as, um, some other crazy stuff.

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

_**Monday, November 2**_

******9:32PM**

- o -

The shovel is still gripped tightly in his hands. Gaara stares down at the bloody mass of flesh and broken bones on the floor in front of him, mildly fascinated by the body that used to belong to his mother. The mess is almost unrecognizable as a person, but the sight doesn't bother him at all. A normal man would have fallen to his knees and vomited out his breakfast; Gaara just laughs and spits on the corpse.

He's not sure why he did it-- well, that might be a lie. He knows exactly why he did it. He just doesn't know why he hadn't done it sooner. Gaara drops the shovel and kicks it off to the side of the kitchen. It hits the stove with a loud clang.

Gaara steps over the body and goes to the kitchen door, turning for a final look at his work. He wonders why he finally snapped now, out of all the times he could have. There had been instances that were much worse than the confrontation that had just taken place. He could remember times when he was younger when she had actually hurt him physically—beating him with an extension cord, burning him with a lighter. He had never lashed out against her then, and now he was a grown man.

Of course, now he'd have to leave. His fingerprints are all over the murder weapon, as well as his mother's blood. However, there was no use in getting rid of it. He would be the police's prime suspect anyway. But he wasn't going to just stand around and wait for the police to catch him. There was no way he was going back to jail, and especially not for this. He was practically doing a _favor_ to all of the other residents on this block. He grins at the absurd idea of the neighbors congratulating him on what he did.

He needed to get out of this place right away. Hiding the body and cleaning up the mess would take to much time. Not to mention the fact that his mother simply did not deserve to be buried. No, he would leave her to rot on the linoleum until some poor soul discovered her remains.

Killing his mother hadn't been planned. Truthfully, he had been on his way out before she had intercepted him at the door. She had obviously had too many pills and medicine in her system, otherwise she would have been too afraid to speak to him, like usual.

But even though she hadn't been in her right mind, the things she had said to him had hurt. And they still did. He knows she had meant every word she had screeched at him only minutes beforehand.

Gaara closes his eyes and shuts the door behind him for the last time.

The stairs creak as he goes up them. He sometimes forgets how old the house is. It has been in his family for generations, but now it looked as if it would stop with Gaara. Unless someone managed to track down his two older siblings, but they were long gone by now. It didn't matter much anyway; the neighborhood had gone to hell years ago. And the fact that his mother hardly even left the house meant that the exterior wasn't much to look at.

"_Not only are you a faggot, but a pedophile too! Disgusting. If I knew you were going to turn out this way I would have gone through with the abortion."_

The memory stings, and Gaara's grin fades. In rare loss of control, he growls and slams his fist into the wall next to him. Plaster falls to the ground as he takes a deep breath, then continues walking up the stairs.

"_Too bad your uncle talked me out of it. You're lucky to be alive, you know."_

**She was only telling you the truth. Couldn't handle it?**

_Shut up, Shukaku. I should've killed her a long time ago._

**Can't argue with that. But--**

_I don't want to talk about it anymore._

**Fine, fine.**

He passes by his old bedroom, and upon glancing in, he actually does laugh. The room is bare. There are no posters on the walls, no carpeting on the hard wooden floors. A metal bed with a thin blanket on top is shoved into the corner of the room. The windows are tiny and have no curtains on them. There is a closet door parallel to the bed.

"Just as I remember it." He says out loud, his crazed grin returning to his lips.

He continues on his way until he gets to his mother's (former) bedroom. He flicks on the light and immediately goes over to the dresser. He tears open the drawers, grabbing jewelry and scarves and anything else he could sell for money while he was on the road.

Leaving this town wasn't going to be hard at all. The friends he has are basically rude, gambling drunks-- people he could find anywhere. And he knew his boss down at the factory was looking for an excuse to get rid of him anyway. The girls he met at bars and clubs were all disposable. And everyone else in the town hated him. So that only left...

_Oh shit. _

Neji.

**The kid.** Shukaku laughs.

_Fuck. _The boy would be _devastated_ when he found out Gaara was gone. They had been 'together' for about six months, and he was pretty sure the kid was in love with him. Gaara didn't understand why. Yeah, he was attractive, but there had to be something more than that. However, for the life of him, Gaara couldn't figure out what.

Gaara liked Neji. Not as much as Neji liked him, but still. It was nice having a friend that wasn't drunk all of the time. Someone who Gaara could actually carry on an intelligent conversation with one minute, then have the boy on his knees the next. and And it wasn't as if Neji was ugly or anything-- it was quite the opposite, actually. The boy was stunning. Long, shiny brown hair, large white eyes, soft pale skin. When Gaara was in high school (before he dropped out), boys and girls like Neji never paid any attention to him. The kid would be much better suited hanging off the arm of one of those jocks at his preppy private school instead of psycho, fucked up Gaara.

He hadn't even meant to form a relationship with the boy. They had met in a nightclub, and after some urging from his friends (and Shukaku), Gaara had approached the boy and asked him to dance. They danced for three or so songs before they ended up making out in a back room of the club. Gaara was sure it could have gone further if Neji's phone hadn't rang. The boy had excused himself apologetically, but had written his phone number on Gaara's arm and told him to call him. They had met up a couple of times after that. Eventually they started seeing each other on a regular basis. From then on, Neji had just assumed they were in a relationship, and Gaara never saw a reason to correct him. At the time, it hadn't mattered to him as long as he could still go out and get drunk and pick up girls at night, something that Neji didn't know about.

But now Gaara wouldn't have to worry about him finding out.

**Aww, you're gonna break the little boy's heart?** Shukaku chuckles in his mind.

_I guess_. Gaara shrugs it off. _The kid is still young_--

--**Too young**--

-- _And he'll get over it. Eventually. _Gaara finishes looting his mother's room and moves on to the attic.

Sure, he cares for Neji. But it would be best if he didn't see him before he left. It would only complicate things. And for a situation like this, things needed to be as simple as possible.

If Gaara is lucky, no one will notice his mother is dead for a couple of weeks. She wasn't very friendly, and everyone in the neighborhood was afraid of her. She rarely came outside. And as for him being gone, well, the town would be too relieved to even investigate why.

As long as he could leave tonight without creating any commotion, everything would be okay.

* * *

**10:13PM**

- o -

Neji knows something is wrong as soon as his father enters the room. He is in the study, helping Hanabi with her homework. Hinata looks on, smiling over the edge of her book from her seat by the fireplace. Their father makes his presence know by appearing suddenly in the doorway of the room and entering with the gait of a man who doesn't seem to want to get too angry too quickly.

It is obvious that the older male just got home. He is still wearing his coat, and he sets his briefcase on the ground against a table as he clears his throat.

"Hello, Father..."

"Hinata, Hanabi, I must ask you to leave the room." Hiashi says, cutting off his youngest daughter. Hinata looks up and sees the expression on her father's face; she closes her book immediately and gets up. Hanabi looks like she wants to argue, but Hinata tugs gently at her sleeve and gestures to the door. Hanabi scowls, but follows her out nonetheless.

Neji and his father are now alone in the study. Hundreds of law books surround them on old, expensive bookshelves. The fireplace is crackling serenely in the corner. The desk Neji is seated at is made from rich mahogany with a small gold table lamp placed atop it, along with a couple of stacks of paper.

Neji closes Hanabi's notebook, wondering what he's done this time. His father doesn't look too upset, but sometimes Neji couldn't tell with him.

"Neji." Hiashi starts, removing his coat. He drapes it over the back of the chair Hinata had previously been seated in.

"Yes, father?" He puts his pencil down on the desk, turning around in his chair to face the older man.

"We need to talk."

"About what?"

Hiashi doesn't say anything, and instead reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. He hands it to Neji, who takes it and unfolds it, curiosity written all over his face. "What is i-- Oh." His eyes widen slightly when he realizes that it's his report card. He doesn't know how his father got a hold of it so soon. He had planned on altering it slightly before showing it to his father, but now it looks like he wouldn't be able to.

"Father, I can explain--"

"Your grades have dropped." Hiashi interrupts, giving Neji a look that means he should stay quiet.

Neji closes his mouth. Hiashi snatches the paper back.

"But that is not the part that is upsetting me the most." Neji's father is speaking softly, but he can tell that the older man is very, very angry by the way his hands are shaking. "It says here that you have cut class more than ten times this marking period, Neji." His eyes scan the paper in his hands. "September twenty-third, October fourth, the tenth, thirteenth..." he glances up at his son, then back down at the paper. "Last Friday, the thirtieth."

Neji pales. His father knows that he has cut school before, and he was never this bothered by it. There had to be something else he was in trouble for. He frowns, frantically trying to remember why he had cut school last Friday.

Hiashi crumples the paper up and tosses it into the fireplace. The paper burns slowly, but Neji is to busy watching his father to pay attention to that.

When the older man speaks again, his voice is low and dangerous. "When I asked you if you were in school on Friday, you told me yes, did you not?"

"Yes, father." Neji's voice cracks just a little.

"Do you know _why_ I asked you?"

"No, f-father."

"I asked you," His father's voice raises slightly. "Because Friday afternoon, I received a call from Mrs. Yamanaka, who said she saw you downtown around noon." He pauses. "She said you were not alone."

"Father--" Suddenly, it clicks. Fear coils in the pit of Neji's stomach.

"She said that the person who was with you was tall--"

"Father, please--" _Oh, no..._

"--Had red hair--"

"No, father, it wasn't--"

"-- And a multitude of tattoos on his arms. She asked me if I knew anyone who fit the description." Hiashi's eyes are glittering with anger. "Does this person sound familiar, Neji?"

Neji can hardly believe what he is hearing. He had been so _careful_, never bringing Gaara around to the neighborhood, staying away from schools in case he was seen by one of Hinata's friends, making sure they were never together in crowded places. He hadn't even intended on spending the day with Gaara on Friday, but the older man had pulled into the Hyuuga driveway just as Neji had been leaving for school and asked if he wanted to spend the day with him. Neji, of course, couldn't say no to him.

"I--" Neji cuts himself off, not knowing what to say.

"And after you had assured me that you were in school the whole day, I called Mrs. Yamanaka back and explained to her that it _couldn't_ have been you, that you would never cut class or _purposely_ disobey your father to go gallivant around town with a man nearly a decade older than you!"

"Father, I can explain! Gaara was just--"

Hiashi snaps. "I told you to stay away from him!" His father yells, seemingly angered just by the male's name. His calm lawyer-like attitude has vanished; now the man's fury is evident on his face.

"I can't!" Neji stands up and immediately feels less cornered. "I told you, daddy, I lov--"

WHAM.

Neji nearly crashes to the ground. He steadies himself on the arm of the chair with one hand and cradles his face where his father struck him seconds before. "Wha--" Tears form at the corners of his eyes.

"He has a _criminal record_, Neji!"

Neji sniffs, wiping his eyes. His face stings but he ignores it as he gets up slowly. "You don't even know him, daddy, how can you even--"

"He's dangerous, Neji! Can't you see that? When I told you that you were not to see him anymore I was doing it to protect you!" His father looms over him, his fists clenched tightly. Standing in front of the fireplace, Hiashi's face is shadowed, making him look even more dangerous. The fire crackles behind him, and Neji can see his younger sisters peering in through a crack in the door.

"But daddy, he needs me!" Neji says pleadingly. Why didn't his father understand? Hadn't he noticed the ways Neji had changed from before he met Gaara? The tears overflow and he starts to cry in earnest. "He's had a terrible life, daddy, if you only knew the stories... but I make him happy, I--"

"He's using you, idiot boy! Do you honestly think a grown man would be interested in you for your _personality_? The only thing he wants from you is--"

"You're LYING!" Neji yells, his eyes so clouded by tears that he can't even make out his father's face anymore. "You don't know anything about him, daddy, he says he loves me, he _cares_ about me, you--"

Hiashi hits him again with all of his strength. Neji falls to the ground with a cry, clutching his face. He hears a gasp from one of his sisters as he wipes blood from his mouth.

Neji shakily pushes himself up from the ground.

"You don't understand." He whispers. "You just don't understand. I love--"

"Say it again, Neji." Hiashi's voice is low and full of rage, and Neji is more afraid of him now than ever before. "Say it one more time and so help me God—"

Neji looks down at the expensive Oriental rug.

_Gaara..._

"I love him." He breathes.

"Get out. OUT!" Hiashi roars, moving as if he was going to strike his son again. Neji scrambles to his feet and flees from the room, bypassing Hinata and Hanabi who are huddled together in the hall. He throws open the front door and leaves as fast as he can.

* * *

**10:57PM**

- o -

Neji has never been in Gaara's neighborhood after dark. At night, it looks completely different. The houses look large and foreboding, the streets deserted. Everything is hidden in shadow. The houses in this part of town were once new and proud; now they were old and deteriorating. Lawns were unkempt, streetlights broken. It looks as if city officials didn't even know that the place existed. Dogs growl at him from alleyways and men drive past in cars, eyeing him up and leering.

The wind picks up and Neji shivers, wishing he had at least taken a jacket with him. He's only wearing a thin name-brand hoodie and old jeans, and it is now a lot colder than it was this afternoon. He starts walking a little bit faster, attempting to tuck strands of his long brown hair behind his ear as the wind whips it around his face. His lip still stings from where his father hit him the first time, but it has stopped bleeding. He can feel dried tears on his face.

Gaara's house finally comes into view, and when Neji squints he can see a car with its lights on in the driveway. He starts to feel worried; who would be visiting at this time of night? If anything, Gaara would be out at a bar or something. But Neji knows for a fact that the tiny brick house never receives any visitors. He ventures closer, and soon realizes that the shiny black car is Gaara's.

The red-haired man exits the house and walks briskly over to the car just as Neji reaches the end of the driveway. He is carrying a large brown box filled to the top with various items, none of which Neji can make out because it is so dark. Besides the car headlights, only the lamp above the house's front porch is there to illuminate the two of them.

"What... what are you doing?" Neji asks, slowly walking up the driveway.

The older man looks up, an expression of mild surprise on his face. His eyes land on the boy's small frame and he curses softly under his breath. He drops the box into the trunk of the car, but instead of stopping to talk to the other male, he starts walking back to the house. Neji follows him, bewildered.

"What are you doing?" Neji asks again, hoping that Gaara hadn't heard him the first time.

"Leaving." The redhead barks his response as he enters the house, the screen door slamming behind him. A minute later he re-emerges, carrying three more boxes.

Neji is stunned. _Leaving?_ _To go where?_ He dashes over to his boyfriend. "W-Why?"

"Don't ask questions." Gaara growls, shoving the next two boxes into the trunk. _Great. This is exactly what I need_. He had been planning on making his exit as quiet as possible, but then the kid just had to show up. He wonders momentarily what the boy was doing out this late at night; He knew that Neji had a curfew, and it was, as the kid's father would put it, a 'school night'.

Neji is taken aback by Gaara's icy response. "You're _leaving_?" He asks again, just to make sure. "A-and you weren't even going to say goodbye to me?" He could not believe this was happening. First the fight with his father, and now this? It had to be a dream. More tears sting at his eyes, and he tries furiously to hold them in. _Calm down, Neji. Don't start crying again. You're not a child._

Gaara stops. Neji sounds so tiny, so frail... this was one of the reasons why he didn't want to see him before he left. His mother's words ring in his head. _A pedophile. _

Sighing, he sets the last box down on the ground, then offers his hand to Neji. The younger boy accepts it and Gaara pulls him into an embrace.

"Neji... I did something really, really bad. And if I don't get out of here, I'm going to be in a lot of trouble." Gaara finds himself unconsciously running his fingers through the younger male's hair. He closes his eyes and lowers his face to Neji's neck. Before he can stop himself, he inhales deeply, savoring the scent of the boy. Neji makes a small noise in the back of his throat, and Gaara can feel him relaxing in his arms.

**Isn't that cute.**

Neji buries his face into Gaara's chest. "It can't be that bad. I know you've been to jail before. Maybe my father can—"

It seems as if mentioning his father to Gaara had the same effect as mentioning the redhead to Hiashi. The older man looks up sharply, abruptly releasing his hold on the brunet. "Are you serious? Your dad was the asshole who put me in jail in the first place." Gaara snaps.

"W-what?" Neji looks up in shock. _Daddy?_ Neji had no idea that his father even knew about Gaara before they started dating. Hiashi didn't like to talk about his cases that often. "Daddy put you in jail?"

"Yes, 'daddy put me in jail'." Gaara mimics harshly, suddenly not wanting to deal with the emotional younger boy. He pushes him away, ignoring the way his heart contracts when he sees the boy stumble backwards. _He's such a child._ "Because I'm a _criminal_. Understand?"

Neji steadies himself against the open trunk of the car. He knew that Gaara had been to jail before, but for what, or the details of the cases, were lost to him. Everything he had known about the man's criminal record he had heard around town-- either from gossipy girls in his classes at school or the snooty adults at his father's country club. He had never approached Gaara directly about it. Neji had always just assumed that it would be something the redhead wouldn't want to talk about, and besides, that was all in the past, right?

"Gaara..." Neji reaches for Gaara's hand hesitantly. "You- you're not a criminal to me." He knows it sounds kind of... stupid, but he can't think of anything else. He had to say something, anything to make Gaara stay, even if it made him look completely childish. He needed Gaara to stay so _badly._

Shukaku is laughing freely in Gaara's mind. **Unbelievable! He doesn't know shit about you. What a-- **

_Shut up, Shukaku! _

The red-haired man yanks his hand from Neji's grip and picks up the last box, dropping it on top of the others. Neji watches as he returns to the house and turns off the porch light, then shuts and locks the front door. Tears are slowly leaking out of the boy's eyes as he imagines returning home, knowing the he would never see the man he loved again. His father would be completely ecstatic about the fact that he was right all along about Gaara. Hanabi had never liked Gaara, and Hinata was terrified of him. How can he face his family, knowing what their reactions would be? How can he go back to school and face the perverted upperclassmen, who would probably start stalking him again as soon as they found out Gaara left town? How could he face his friends, and tell them the man he was in love with had abandoned him?

And, most importantly, how could he go on without Gaara? The man meant everything to him.

It seemed as if there was only one thing he could do.

"Let--let me go with you." The words sound strange in Neji's mouth, and he almost can't believe he said them.

"What?" Gaara laughs, slamming the trunk of the car shut. "You've got to be kidding, babe."

"I'm serious!" Neji grabs Gaara's hand again. The older man hesitates, and Neji takes advantage of it and throws himself into his arms.

"Neji..." Gaara starts, unsure of how he was going to break the news to the kid. "Look, I'm going to miss you, but--"

"Let me go with you, then! I won't get in your way, I promise! I-- I wouldn't be able to stand it if you left me, please!" The tears are running freely down Neji's face and soaking into Gaara's shirt. "Oh, Gaara, you don't know—you have no idea how much—"

For the first time in his life, Gaara is amazed. The kid is completely, one hundred percent serious, and he has no idea why. Why on earth would Neji want to leave his life behind for a fuck up like him? The kid had everything; he was extremely wealthy, he went to a prestigious school, he had a loving family, great friends, and anything else a teenage boy could want. What did Gaara possibly have that could lure Neji away from all of this?

He laughs again, running a hand through his hair as the boy continues to sob into his shirt. "It's not funny!" Neji cries, pounding a fist into Gaara's chest. "Gaara, I _love _you_!"_

"Stop." Strong hands grip Neji's shoulders and he is abruptly pulled away from his boyfriend's chest. "Neji, you don't understand."

Gaara holds the smaller male by his shoulders and kneels down so he is at eye level with the brunet. Pale eyes shiny with tears stare back at him. "I killed my mother." Gaara says stonily.

It seems as if the wind blowing around them stops. The flickering porch light freezes on off, and the hum of the car fades into the background.

Neji's blood runs cold.

_The rumors are true, _is the first thing the Hyuuga thinks dazedly. His eyes take in Gaara's cold expression, the way his hands are shaking slightly as he holds Neji's shoulders, the dark stains on his shirt that had previously gone unnoticed...

"_He's dangerous, Neji! Can't you see that?"_

His body goes slightly limp and it's only Gaara's hands on his arms that keep him up. He clutches Gaara's upper arms, all of a sudden feeling extremely dizzy. He doesn't notice as Gaara gently, but firmly, sets him on the ground.

"That makes me a murderer, baby. You got that?" Gaara is speaking slowly, as if towards a child. Which technically, Neji still is. He pries Neji's fingers from his arms and stands up, green eyes focused on the boy on the ground before him.

Neji shakes his head, dark hair flying about. "No, no, no..." _A murderer..._

"Go home, Neji." Gaara turns his back on the boy. He walks around to the driver's door and opens it, sliding into the car. "Go home to your nice little rich family."

He slams the door close. His seatbelt is snapped into place, and he adjusts the rearview mirror. He takes a deep breath to steady himself. Gaara doesn't know why seeing the boy in this state was affecting him so much. Maybe because the only thing Neji did was smile when he was around Gaara; seeing him in tears made something tighten in Gaara's chest. He didn't know what it was.

Neji, meanwhile, doesn't know what to do. _Gaara killed someone. _His body feels cold, but he's not sure if it's because he's frightened or because Gaara is no longer holding on to him. _Gaara killed someone. On purpose._ He wraps his arms around himself as he shivers. _His mother. Gaara killed his mother. _

But did that really matter to him? He loved Gaara. No one else had ever made Neji feel the way he did with the redhead. Not his friends, not his family, not even Neji's first boyfriend Shikamaru before he moved last year. Neji wouldn't be able to live with himself if he never saw the man again. What if Gaara got caught? What if he went to jail? What if he _died?_

The thought of finding out his boyfriend was dead from the ten o'clock news made the tears well up behind his eyes once more. He couldn't just-- just stand by and watch as Gaara walked out of his life.

Gaara had fully expected Neji to run off crying as soon as he told him what he did. He had been prepared to finally pull out of the driveway and onto the road, but--

**He's still standing there.**

_What? Goddammit. _He glances over at the boy, and instantly wishes he hadn't. Tears are streaming from Neji's large pale eyes. The wind is blowing the kid's hair all over the place, but he doesn't seem to care. He looks pleadingly at Gaara, sniffling and wiping his face with the sleeve of his hoodie. There seems to be a bruise on his lip that Gaara hadn't noticed before, and he wonders if he did it.

He contemplates turning on the radio to block out the sounds of the boy's sobs, but decides against it. What the hell is the kid still doing here? _Shit, Neji, just leave already!_

Sighing, Gaara lowers his window. "Look, I'm sorry. Okay?" He attempts.

"But I..." Neji's slender hands are clasped tightly together in front of his chest. "I thought you l-loved me." He says pleadingly.

"Baby--"

"--You told me you loved me!" Neji shouts, ivory eyes closed tightly.

_Fuck. Please don't let him wake the neighbors._

Shukaku can't stop laughing. **You're in trouble now, Gaara.**

Gaara shuts his eyes in frustration. He knew he would live to regret saying that to the boy. The night he said it had been the first and only time they had sex. He didn't understand why it had meant so much to the boy at the time; some whore he had picked at a bar had said it to him a week prior to that night, and he had just repeated it to Neji. Gaara instantly knew that it was a mistake from the way the boy's face had lit up, but it didn't really seem all that important to Gaara at the time.

Neji takes a step closer to the car. "You lied to m-me."

**He's lied to you about a lot more than that, kid.**

"No, no, I wasn't lying, I just..." Gaara stops himself. What the fuck was he doing? He didn't owe the boy an _explanation_. He should be leaving. All he has to do is apply pressure to the pedal and he could be off, he could get the fuck out of this town and never look back. Leave his mother's dead body, leave the beautiful, devoted, minor crying on his driveway until his rich lawyer father came and found him.

...Something is holding him back.

"Neji..." He re-opens his eyes and looks at the boy. _Beautiful. Even when he's like this._

"I don't care! I don't care if you were lying. Even if you might not love me, Gaara, I swear--"

No one had ever been this attached to him. No one had ever loved him the way Neji says he does. Did Gaara really want to leave him behind? The only person who valued Gaara above his life, his family, his own self?

**You really gonna leave him behind? Look, he's so saaaad...**

Gaara wonders how many more years he would get tacked onto his sentence for statutory rape. Not to mention the fact that if he ever got caught, the kid's asshole of a father would probably accuse Gaara of kidnapping his son.

But that was only _if_ he were caught. And Gaara really had no intention of letting that happen.

"...That I love you. I would do anything for you, Gaara, please take me with you!" The last words are muffled. Neji has thrown himself over the hood of the car, sobbing into his arms with abandon.

Gaara doesn't respond, both hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. He closes his eyes again, trying to block out Shukaku's laughter and Neji's sobs. _Pedophile._

**Shit, boy, just grab him and _go_.**

_Disgusting._ But Neji was beautiful. He was beautiful and intelligent and one of the best things in Gaara's life at the moment. So why not? Why not take the kid with him? Who was there to stop him?

He exhales slowly, flexing his fingers on the steering wheel.

**What could it hurt? You're going to hell anyway. **

Finally, he inclines his head to the right.

"Get in."

Neji looks up, "Really?"

Gaara revs the engine. The noise echoes off of all the surrounding houses. "_Now. _Before I change my mind."

Neji throws open the door to the passenger seat. Instead of sitting down, he throws himself across the divider in the middle and kisses the redhead hard. Neji's lips are soft as always, and Gaara can taste the boy's tears on his tongue. The older male pulls Neji up on his lap, kissing him back with just as much force. He cradles the dark-haired boys skull tightly, but Neji doesn't seem to mind. He allows Gaara entrance into his mouth and Gaara devours him, pushing his tongue against every inch of the boy's orifice. Neji responds eagerly, fingers clutched tightly in the front of Gaara's shirt and gasping into the older male's mouth.

Neji's back is pushed up against the steering wheel, and he arches when Gaara's hand slides under his hoodie. Shukaku is laughing in the back of his mind. **Mother was right.** He says, but Gaara is too busy enjoying the underage boy in his lap to think up a reply.

At last, they part. The digital clock above the radio buttons blinks 11:08pm. Neji is smiling through his tears as he settles back into the passenger seat, fastening his seatbelt at the same time. "You won't regret it, Gaara, I promise. I'll do everything I can to help you. Everything." He is hiccupping as he says this, wiping the tears from his face with his sleeve.

The boy's white eyes are rimmed with red, and there are dried tears staining his face, and the bruise on his lip looks angry and dark up close. But the way Neji is smiling at him, so bright and beautiful, like everything is going to be alright, makes Gaara unable to see any of the other imperfections.

"Yeah." Gaara runs a hand through his hair.

**This should be interesting.** Shukaku laughs.

_Shut up, will you? _Gaara responds, shifting the car into gear. With a final glance at the house in the rearview mirror, he drives out into the street. Neji is still hiccupping softly beside him, wiping his face with his sleeve and smiling gently.

The car speeds off into the night, leaving the neighborhood silent once more.


	2. good enough

i don't own naruto.

other warnings i forgot: more oocness (Neji will get better though), drug use, prostitution, etc etc etc. uh shikamaru is going to play a big part in the ending so if you don't like him you can stop reading before the ending. :3 however i've never come across someone who doesn't like him, sooo....

to: krazykuki, GossipgalMishi, i am ghost, Simply, TeChNoLoGiC, TenshiXXX, alyssavlm, yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees, tesha, Hanai-kun, Dragonneva, Littlest-Angel, 13am13i, Sabaku-Kazekage dattebayo. thank you so much for all of the reviews! i apologize for not responding to them, but starting from this chapter onward i will.

this took way longer than i thought it would.

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

**_Tuesday, November 3rd_**

**9:22AM**

- o -

Neji groans as sunlight streams through his closed eyelids. He throws an arm over his eyes, rolling over onto his side to make himself more comfortable. There is a gentle breeze drifting over him, and he can faintly hear old rock and roll music. The soft yet slightly itchy surface he is laying on is foreign to him.

A gentle bump jolts him even more awake. "Mmm…"

_This… isn't my bed_. He thinks as his ivory eyes open slowly. He blinks at the sight of the dark gray interior overhead, instead of the soft blue canopy of sheets he is used to.

Neji sits up. He is in the back seat of Gaara's car, beneath a worn, but soft old blanket. He looks up in the rearview mirror and sees the redhead's green eyes flicker towards him. The older male grunts a good morning.

**Heh. Sleeping Beauty's finally awake. **Shukaku comments.

_Great, here we go. Any minute now he's gonna start crying, begging for me to take him home..._ Gaara braces himself, hands tightening on the steering wheel in preparation for the headache that would surely follow. Truth be told, he had expected Neji to lose it as soon as they had gotten on the highway last night. Instead the boy had just chattered on and on about nothing until he fell asleep.

"Good mor--" The greeting is interrupted by a yawn. "--ning." Neji stretches, then smiles sunnily, a far cry from the dramatics Gaara had expected.

Gaara's lips twitch at the sheer adorableness of the single action. "…Hey."

Neji feels fantastic. His hair is all over the place and his eyes are hooded with sleep. There's a cramp in his back from spending the night asleep on a CD case, and his face feels stiff from the dried tears, but just the fact that he's here with Gaara makes these things unimportant.

"How did I get back here?" He asks, rubbing his ivory eyes gently. "The last thing I remember..."

"You fell asleep against the window and kept banging your head against the glass. I moved you."

"Oh. Thank you." Neji says, glancing out of the window. They are on a highway, driving past flat, green country sides. Passing overhead is a road sign that says Exit: One Mile. The roads are mostly empty, with only a few cars passing by them. Apparently Neji woke up after rush hour. Either that, or wherever they were didn't get much traffic.

"Where are we?" He asks, stretching his arms up as much as he could within the limited space of the car.

"We're going into Oto. It's a couple of miles away from Konoha."

Neji's eyes widen. They were out of Konoha already? Neji has been away from Konoha before, but it had never been by car or to any of the bordering states.

"You mean you drove all night?"

"Couldn't sleep." Gaara responds.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Gaara turns off of the highway. The country side gives way to a nicely kept residential street. Small square white houses, nicely manicured lawns, neighbors greeting each other cheerfully. It makes Neji a bit homesick for his own neighborhood, but he reminds himself that he didn't really like any of his snooty neighbors anyway.

The car pulls up to an intersection. The light is red, so Neji takes this opportunity to climb over the divider and into the front seat of the car. He settles into the seat and has his seatbelt buckled by the time the light turns green.

"Good morning." He says again, leaning over and kissing Gaara on the cheek. Gaara swats him away amusedly.

They drive through to a busier part of the town. Small stores line the streets on either side of them, some just barely open for the day's business. There are very few people on the streets, and the ones that are there are easily forgettable, none standing out at all. Altogether it seems like a quaint little place, it's quietness being the only thing that was different from Neji's hometown. In Konoha, there always seemed to be something going on; it was never dull or boring. Even at this time in the morning.

"You want breakfast, babe?"

Neji nods. He realizes now that he hasn't had anything to eat since lunch the previous day, and is pretty hungry. He catches a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror and figures he should make himself look more presentable if they were going to leave the car. He combs back his hair with his fingers, trying to make it look more presentable. Next to him, Gaara snorts. "You look fine." He says as they pull into the parking lot of a small family diner.

A bell rings as Gaara pushes open the door. The diner is mostly empty, what with it being after nine o'clock on a Tuesday morning, but everyone who is present looks up when the two of them enter. Gaara ignores them, so Neji figures he should do so too. After Neji takes a quick trip to the bathroom to wash his face, they take a seat in a booth by the window, and a waitress comes over and gives them menus.

The food comes quickly enough. The two eat quietly in a comfortable silence. Neji pushes his breakfast around on the plate. It isn't bad, but he would much prefer Hinata's homemade pancakes instead. He looks across the table and watches Gaara wolf his food down.

Breakfast is a mostly silent affair. Neji gets the feeling that Gaara doesn't want to attract more attention than necessary, so he eats quietly. As it is, there is a large amount of focus placed on their table already. Neji with his attractive, delicate features and small size and Gaara with his flaming red hair and tattoos were drawing a lot of looks from everyone in the diner. Neji did imagine that they made a pretty strange looking couple, but they never received this kind of attention when they were together in Konoha. _I guess this town doesn't have a lot of people like us._

Neji takes a final bite of the food before pushing his plate away. "What are we going to do after this?" He asks.

Gaara looks up, swallowing a mouthful of eggs.

"We're gonna drive for another couple of hours, until we leave this state too. Then I'm gonna try and sell some of the shit I took from the house. You can stay in the car, I guess. When it gets dark we'll check into a motel."

"Where are we going?"

Gaara shrugs. "As far away from Konoha as possible." He says, then continues shoveling food into his mouth.

"Okay."

_As far away from home as possible._

* * *

**3:12PM**

- o -

"So, as I was saying, Mayor, it is essential that we—"

BANG.

Konoha's Chief of Police Fugaku Uchiha is interrupted by the door to his office being forcefully thrown open. Both he and the Mayor look up in surprise, and are shocked to find the normally poised and respectable Hiashi Hyuuga standing in the doorway, looking less impeccable and more unkempt than his usual self.

"Uchiha. I need to speak with you immediately." Hiashi says bluntly.

The Mayor raises an eyebrow. Fugaku looks at the other man in bewilderment. Not once, in his fifteen years on the force, had someone ever had the nerve to barge into his office like that. "Mr. Hyuuga, what is the meaning of this?"

A nervous young cadet follows Hiashi into the room, babbling apologies. "Captain Fugaku! I'm sorry, he just sort of… walked in. I'll have him removed immediately."

"Of course—"

"No, let him stay." The Mayor, who up until this point looked extremely bored, dismisses the officer.

The cadet looks shocked. "B-but..."

Fugaku looks at the Mayor sharply. "What—"

"Leave. This is an important meeting." The Mayor says to the young man, waving a hand and ignoring Fugaku.

The boy stammers a, 'Yes, Mayor." Before exiting the room.

"Mayor—" Fugaku starts, with a scowl on his hardened features.

"Oh, Fugaku, the budget can be put on hold for a few minutes." The Mayor smiles at Captain Uchiha, but there is a hint of danger behind it. "It seems as if Hiashi has something urgent to tell you."

Fugaku sighs angrily. "Fine." He crosses over to the door and closes it.

"Thank you, Mayor." Hiashi is grateful.

"Now, what is so urgent that you have to come barging into my office like a madman, Hyuuga?" Fugaku asks gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the door.

"Neji. He's missing. I need you to send out everyone who's available to find him." Hiashi demands, gazing calmly at Fugaku.

"Well unfortunately, we can't just drop everything and go on a search for one little boy." Fugaku says coldly. "Most of our officers are already out doing their rounds already."

"He's my son. I'm sure that finding him takes priority over something as miniscule as _parking tickets_."

"When did you last see him?" The Mayor asks quietly.

"About sixteen hours ago."

"That's not even a day, Hyuuga. Do you get this worried when your children are at sleepovers?" Fugaku remarks casually.

"Uchiha…" Hiashi growls warningly, his hands clenching into fists. The Mayor gives Fugaku a solemn look, who sighs and rolls his eyes.

"Fine. But you will have to wait the full 72 hours, then file a report like everyone else."

"I am _not_ going to file a report. My son is missing and I want him _found_. Now." Hiashi slams his fist down on the desk.

"Hiashi." Fugaku interrupts angrily. "Listen to me. I understand how you are feeling--"

"Understand?" Hiashi snarls. "How could you possibly understand, Uchiha, you who _abandoned_ your oldest son to _rot_ in an asylum--"

"My family has nothing to do with this!" Fugaku shouts, rising from his seat, looking as if he were about to punch the other man.

"Gentlemen!" Tsunade interrupts stonily. " Please refrain from including your personal discrepancies within this conversation. This is a professional workplace."

The two men glare at each other. The room is thick with tension.

"Fugaku, I must ask you to step outside." She says sweetly.

Fugaku narrows his eyes. "This is my office, Mayor."

"Yes. But because you don't seem to be able to keep calm, I'm going to have to borrow it momentarily."

The two stare at each other. Tsunade is smiling, but Fugaku can tell that she is seconds away from using force to get him to leave. Getting physically thrown out of his office by the strongest woman in town was not something he was looking forward to.

"Fine." Fugaku concedes with a snarl, walking briskly over to the door. "I'll be outside." He slams the door closed as he exits.

Tsunade smiles kindly at Hiashi. "Why don't you take a seat?"

"I really can't--" Hiashi starts.

"I said, _have a seat."_

Hiashi reluctantly sits down in one of the chairs next to Tsunade, facing away from Fugaku's desk. The blonde woman turns her chair toward him, smiling pleasantly.

"So," she starts. "You last saw Neji at around… eleven-o'clock last night?"

"Yes. We had an argument, and I... kicked him out."

"What was the argument about?"

"I'd… rather not say."

"Hiashi..."

The Hyuuga remains silent. Tsunade sighs, scratching her head. Hiashi was one of her dearest friends, but sometimes he could be a little stubborn. Especially concerning the way he raised his children. His wife had died after giving birth to Hanabi, and since then he had taken it upon himself to make sure his children were always safe. But Tsunade knew that he was capable of taking it too far, and he often did.

"Fine. Hiashi," She began slowly. "Speaking as a friend, I think maybe your son just needs some time away from you."

"..._What_?"

Tsunade resists the urge to roll her eyes. It was no secret that Hiashi was overprotective of his son. She should have know that this idea wouldn't go over well with him.

Hiashi stares, incredulous. "Are you saying that I should let him just... _run amok_, like you let your son?"

Tsunade rubs her head sheepishly. "Well... Naruto is a bad example. Even when I ground him, he always sneaks back out anyway."

"And you are alright with that?"

"But honestly," She continues, ignoring his last statement. "Neji is what, sixteen? You have to let him live a little. You can't keep him... caged up all the time."

Hiashi doesn't respond. He closes his eyes, exhaling heavily.

"You can't protect him for his whole life. Pretty soon he's going to be an adult." Tsunade says quietly, placing her hand on top of his.

"I don't want him getting hurt." Hiashi says softy, rubbing his temples.

Tsunade nods, placing her hand on top of his. The two sit in silence for a while. They can hear Fugaku pacing outside, muttering obscenities and barking at officers.

At last, Tsunade speaks up. "We can't go on an official search for Neji for another 48 hours." She says, pushing back her chair and standing up. "I'll speak to Fugaku for you. Maybe he'll be a little more willing to help you once he's calmed down a bit."

"Thank you, Mayor." Hiashi says, standing up as well. His tone is professional once more, but Tsunade can tell that he is struggling to compose himself.

"Anytime, Hiashi."

* * *

**Early Afternoon - Late Evening**

- o -

The rest of the day is spent driving around, like Gaara said. Neji buys a magazine from the stand outside the diner to keep him occupied, but he finishes it within fifteen minutes of being out on the road. He fiddles around with the radio stations for a couple of minutes, until Gaara tells him to stop and changes it to some country station. Boredom and weariness overtake him, and he falls asleep once more, eventually waking up with his face pressed against the glass. Outside it is noticeably darker than before. He momentarily starts to panic when he notices that Gaara isn't with him, but then realizes that the car isn't moving. He looks out of the window and sees Gaara in a pawnshop across the street, arguing with the shopkeeper.

By the time night falls, all of the boxes that had been in the trunk are gone.

They stop briefly at a pharmacy for essentials-- toothpaste, a hairbrush, deodorant. Gaara has to drag Neji away from staring longingly at some designer shampoo that the brunette has been using his entire life in favor of buying something more generic.

Dinner is burgers from some fast food restaurant. The two eat outside in the parking lot, leaning against Gaara's car (the redhead never allowed anyone to eat inside the car, it was one of his rules). When they are finished, Neji puts his head in Gaara's lap and gazes up at the sky. He counts the stars, then closes his eyes and wonders what his sisters are doing right now. Gaara's head is tilted up against the cold metal of his car. He is looking up at the sky as well, trying to figure out how long it would be until the police actually started looking for him, and how far away from Konoha they'd be. He strokes Neji's hair while arguing with Shukaku about how much time he would be in prison for if he was caught.

After an hour, they get back into the car. Neji leans out of the window, watching now- illuminated signs for gas stations and rest stop whiz by. This place is so similar to Konoha, yet different at the same time. Where Konoha is full of life, Oto is tacky and bland. None of the people stand out. Neji spends a good ten minutes watching the shapeless people go past. After a while Gaara tells him to close the window because he is wasting the heat, so he does. Then promptly goes back to scanning through the radio stations.

Gaara sighs and shakes his head.

* * *

**8:57PM**

- o -

The man behind the counter is sitting with his feet up on the surface, flipping through a trashy magazine when Gaara walks into the lobby with Neji in tow. The man looks up briefly, looks back down, and then does a double take. His eyes scan the redhead's six-foot plus muscular frame, and then fall on the tiny, longhaired teenager next to him. And stay there.

"We want a room." Gaara says, gesturing to himself and Neji. The brunet shyly tucks his hair behind his ear.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." The man is still staring at the boy. Neji looks away quickly; instead focusing on the peeling wallpaper and the worn, old couches at the front of the lobby. Next to the furniture is an unlit soda machine, with a sign taped to the front that says OUT OF ORDER.

Gaara clears his throat, green eyes narrowing. The man looks away from Neji quickly.

"Will you be paying with a credit card, or--"

"Cash." Gaara pulls out a wad of bills from his back pocket, counts out the appropriate amount of money, and then tosses it onto the counter. The man raises an eyebrow.

"Fill this out." He pushes a clipboard with a pen attached towards Gaara. The redhead leans forward and starts filling out the papers. Neji stands awkwardly at his side, hands clasped together nervously. He tries his best not to look at him, but eventually the man catches his eye. He points at Gaara, then to Neji, then makes a rude sexual gesture with his fingers. Neji looks down, blushing, and moves closer to Gaara.

Gaara finishes with the papers and slides the clipboard back to the man.

"ID?"

Gaara produces a driver's license from his wallet. Neji only gets a quick glance, but he is positive that the card didn't have Gaara's real name on it. He opened his mouth to say something, but then thinks better of it.

The man checks the card, then pulls out a drawer and digs around in it until he pulls out a key with a green tag on it. He hands the key to Gaara, who snatches it from him. The man flinches.

"Room 24C. Enjoy your... stay."

Gaara turns and exits the lobby with Neji in tow. He walks briskly, and Neji has to hurry to catch up.

"Why was he looking at me like that?" Neji asks, tugging on Gaara's hand on the way back to the car.

"Get used to it, kid. People aren't as... tactful out here as they are in Konoha."

* * *

**9:05PM**

- o -

The room is nothing like the four-star hotels Neji stays in with his family when they go on vacation.

The bed is a little over than half the size of Neji's bed at home. The wallpaper is the color of sand and has little orange flower patterns on it. Across from the bed is a small TV on a dresser. Neji is pretty sure that not even the closets in his house are this small, much less a bedroom. The room is cramped, but cozy. There is a heater in the corner, but it doesn't seem to be working, as there is a chill in the room. Still, the comforter on the bed is thick, and Neji has no problems with cuddling up to his boyfriend when they're sleeping.

Gaara sets the two suitcases down as Neji heads over to the bed. He tests it for softness, then flops back against it, looking up at the paint chipped ceiling. At least tonight he'd be sleeping in a bed and next to Gaara, as opposed to the backseat of the redhead's car.

He sits up and removes his shoes. Gaara is surveying the motel room. After a minute or two, he goes into the tiny adjoined bathroom and sets down the bag with the toothpaste and other purchased items down on the sink. When he returns, Neji is once again lying back on the bed, eyes closed with a serene smile on his face.

"Take off your clothes."

"Hmm? Why?" Neji asks, opening his snow-colored eyes to fix them on Gaara.

"I'm gonna go wash them. These are the only things you have to wear until we get you new clothes, right?"

"Yeah…" Neji couldn't stop himself from feeling a bit excited upon hearing 'until we get you new clothes'. Shopping always made him happy.

"Plus I got a bag full of laundry in my car." Gaara pulls off his shirt, slinging it over his arm. The redhead's defined chest muscles are now on display, along with the numerous amount of tattoos inked across his torso. Neji watches, slightly openmouthed, as the redhead's jeans are the next to go. He hadn't expected Gaara to just get naked right in front of him.

Gaara gives him a look. Neji shakes his head to clear it.

"Okay." Neji pulls off his hoodie and drops it on the bed next to him. Gaara watches expectantly as the boy fidgets with the folds of his light blue t-shirt.

"Baby," Gaara smirks, walking over to the brunet on the bed. "I've seen you shirtless before." He tugs at the bottom Neji's shirt.

"I know! I just--" Gaara cuts him off by pulling his shirt up and off of his head in one swift movement.

"Gaa-RA!" Neji whines, shivering as the cool air of the room hits his bare chest. Gaara drapes the boy's shirt over his arm along with his own clothing.

"Get over it." The redhead says, rolling his eyes. Sensing the boy's slight discomfort, he decides not to press it by asking for the rest of the boy's clothes, including his under garments. "I'll be back in about half an hour, alright?" He makes his way over to the door. He is about to turn the knob and open it when Neji calls out to him.

"Wait!" Neji doesn't want Gaara to leave so soon. They just got here. He doesn't want to be alone in the motel room right away. The brunet is hesitant about voicing this to Gaara, however. The older male would most likely laugh at him, which he does sometimes. Besides, Neji doesn't want him thinking he is… afraid or anything.

"Yeah?" Gaara turns back around after stuffing the clothes into the laundry bag.

He needs something to make the redhead stay, for a little while longer. At least until Neji feels comfortable enough being in the room alone. What if that guy from the desk were to come around when Gaara wasn't there? Or what if the police find him?

Fortunately, he knew just exactly what could keep Gaara around for a while.

"What about my jeans? And my underwear...?" The brunet asks innocently, twirling a lock of hair around his finger.

The redhead pauses by the door. "Oh." _Well, it looks like the kid isn't feeling all that uncomfortable after all._

Then a slow smirk spreads across his face. "You want me to take those off, too?"

"Mm-hm." Neji bites his lip.

The redhead stuffs all the clothes in the bag by the door, then approaches him predatorily. The laundry doesn't seem as important as it was a few minutes beforehand.

Gaara's hand pushes gently against his chest. "Lie back." He says huskily. Neji notices the change of Gaara's tone, so he complies, gently falling back against the soft pillows. He stretches his arms over his head, noticing the way Gaara's piercing green eyes follow the movement, and then flicker over to his face.

Neji stares up at Gaara, lips parted, while the older man trails a hand down his bare stomach, to the waist of his jeans. Gaara never breaks eye contact as he undoes the button using only his thumb and forefinger. The zipper is pulled down slowly, and Gaara's knuckles brush against the warmth beneath the dark-haired male's boxers. Neji's breath hitches.

Gaara hooks his fingers into the belt loops and tugs the semi-tight jeans down, with Neji lifting his hips to help him. The jeans are pulled down to and off of his ankles, Gaara's fingers dragging along the boy's smooth thighs on the way down. The article of clothing is tossed to the floor, forgotten.

Gaara looks back up. Their eyes meet.

The redhead leans in slowly, as Neji raises himself up on his elbows. Their lips meet halfway. The redhead climbs on top of the boy, straddling him. Neji's eyes slide closed as Gaara threads his hands into the boy's silky hair. Lips part, and their tongues collide passionately. They kiss slowly, in no hurry to end the encounter. They have all the time in the world. Neji winds his arms around Gaara's neck, holding on tight, and pulling him down on top of him so that they are both fully horizontal on the bed. The warmth of Gaara's body pressed against his makes Neji moan.

They part for air, but Neji only has a split second to whimper before Gaara's lips are on his once more.

"Gaara..." he murmurs when Gaara releases his lips in favor of burying his face in Neji's neck, nibbling at the skin there. The redhead's hands trail down Neji's sides, and he raises his body so that he's hovering over the boy once more. God, everything felt so good… Gaara was always so… _so_…

He can feel the redhead's breath on his skin, the tingling trail of kisses the man leaves on his way back to Neji's mouth, only to slip his tongue into the warm cavern once more. Neji grasps the older man's forearms tightly, nails digging into his skin.

Gaara traces the lines of Neji's hipbones with his thumbs, then slides them into the waistband of the dark-haired male's boxers. The boy's hips arch up into the older male. _Wait..._

"Ahh--"

Gaara tugs the waistband of Neji's boxers down--

_...Wait. _Neji has enough clarity to see where this is going.

"Gaara!" he gasps, both hands flying to grasp Gaara's on his hips. Gaara looks up, cloudy green eyes meeting ivory. Neji's eyes are half-lidded as he pants, trying to voice the reason why he stopped the encounter.

"I, um..."

"_What_?" Gaara growls, staring at the boy.

"I... can take those off myself." Neji says finally, a dark pink blush coming over his cheeks.

_What the fuck. _Gaara stares at the boy, from the flush across his cheeks to the way his chest rises with every breath he takes. _Is he fucking serious?_ The boy's soft hands are gripping his own tightly, providing Gaara with an answer.

Neji is trembling.

"...Fine." Gaara drags himself off of the boy, running a hand through his hair.

**What?! You're going to let the little bitch get away with that?** Shukaku announces his return angrily. The demon always stayed quiet for any sort of sexual encounters, and a few hours afterwards, a fact that Gaara was inherently grateful for. However, it doesn't seem as if he is too happy right now.

Gaara doesn't respond to the demon. Instead he turns his back on the boy, gathering up the rest of the laundry, trying to slow his breathing and willing his erection to go down.

Neji crawls under the covers. He removes his boxers quickly, and then, making sure he is completely covered by the comforter, holds them out to Gaara. The redheaded male retrieves them from him, pausing to look at the boy before stalking over to the door.

**He's completely naked under there! Take him, what are you waiting for?**

"Um…" Neji's voice cuts through the silence. "What am I going to sleep in?" He asks from the bed, pushing his hair back from his eyes.

Gaara gestures uncaringly to one of the suitcases on the floor in front of the bed. "Take something to wear from there."

"Thank you."

"Whatever."

The door closes. Neji sits on the bed for a couple of seconds, shaking slightly. Once he feels like he's calmed down enough, he crawls over to the end of the bed and leans forward, reaching for one of suitcases. He grabs one and pulls it back onto the bed, then unlatches the clasps and opens it. Inside there is a pile of shirts, all of them in dark colors. Neji frowns, and starts rooting around in the suitcase for something to wear that wasn't completely depressing. He finally pulls out a white, long-sleeved button down shirt that he remembers seeing Gaara wear for work. Neji pulls it on, enjoying the fact that it is too big on him. The hem of the shirt falls to just above the top of his knees, and the sleeves end about two inches past his fingertips. He buttons up the shirt halfway from the bottom.

Neji presses the collar of the shirt to his nose and inhales deeply. Gaara's scent invades his senses, and a soft moan escapes his lips. The older male smells like rich cologne and gasoline. The scent wraps around the boy, making him shudder and fall back against the pillows. Everything about the redhead is just so _exciting_.

He can't stop the blush from forming on his cheeks as he slides his own hand down his throat, remembering how Gaara's touch felt against his bare skin only minutes beforehand. Ivory eyes slide closed as he skims pale fingers along his collarbone.

He isn't entirely sure why he had stopped Gaara from going... all the way with him. It wasn't like last time, where Hinata or Hanabi could have walked in at any moment. This was different. He was completely free to do whatever he wanted now.

It was just that... well, it felt like too much was going on at once. He needed some time to adjust.

The room seems empty and cold without Gaara's fiery presence. While Neji had succeeded in his goal of making his boyfriend stay for a little while longer, the bad note that had ended the encounter made him upset. His original intention hadn't been to have sex with Gaara, only to just… distract him for a little while.

In actuality, he was quite nervous. He and Gaara had only done… _it_ once, and Neji was worried about doing it again. What if... what if he was bad at it because he was so inexperienced? Or what if Gaara had sex with him, and then decided that he was tired of boys? He had known from the beginning that the redhead was bisexual, but had never felt so threatened by Gaara's preferences than he did now.

_Calm down Neji._ He tells himself, take a deep breath_. None of that matters_. He was going to be with Gaara for the rest of his life. There was plenty of time for that in the future. Plenty of time for sex, and plenty of time for him to get Gaara to fall in love with him. He hadn't forgotten how, last night, Gaara had proven to Neji what he had always dreaded: that the redhead didn't love Neji as much as Neji loved him. In fact, it had seemed as if Gaara didn't love him at all.

_But…he took me with him. _Neji thinks, curling up onto his side. _That must mean he loves me a little bit, right?_

He sure hopes so.

* * *

**9:49PM**

- o -

A few doors down, Gaara is having yet another argument with Shukaku. It is late enough at night that no one would be out to witness a twenty-something year old redhead talking to himself and doing laundry in only his boxers, but Gaara has the door shut anyway.

He had taken his sweet time in unloading all of the clothes, and is now leaning against the dryer as he watched the clothes spin in the washer.

He had been watching Neji all day, waiting for the moment when the boy would realize that he had made a horrible mistake last night. So far there had been no signs whatsoever that the boy was on the verge of breaking down, but Gaara was sure it was bound to happen any minute now. He expected to return to the motel room and find Neji hysterical, crying about how much his missed his father or his sisters or whatever. There was no way that Gaara would drive the kid all the way back to Konoha, but he could direct him to a bus stop or something. Or, even better, if he went back and Neji wasn't there at all. Once the kid left he would no longer be Gaara's responsibility.

It's not like he can blame Neji for last night, though. Hell, Gaara made stupid spontaneous decisions all the time.

**So let me get this straight. You're purposely doing laundry as slowly as possible so you can give the kid enough time to run away?**

"You catch on quick."

**The little cocktease isn't gonna leave you, dumbass. **

"Course he is. He's probably calling his father up right now, crying for a ride home." The washer stops. Gaara opens the door and begins transferring the clothes over to the dryer.

Sometimes, when Gaara is alone, he speaks to Shukaku out loud instead of inside of his brain. It takes him back to a previous time, in his youth, before he realized that having a extra voice in your head and carrying on conversations with it wasn't something that normal people experienced. It was more... comforting than talking with him inside his mind.

**If he wanted to leave, he would have told you.**

"He's too scared. He'll want to do it when I'm not there."

Shukaku snorts. **If you're right, you don't seem too broken up about it.**

"It's not like I wanted to take him with me." Gaara says with a shrug.

Shukaku snorts. **Yeah, right. Then why didn't you leave him there?**

"He was bawling his eyes out. Shit, I'm not that heartless."

The dryer stops. Gaara looks up at the clock. He's only been gone for about an hour. He drops a couple of coins into the machine and the dryer starts up again.

Twenty-five minutes later, Gaara stands in front of the door to their room, a heavy bag of clothes slung over his back. Taking a breath, he inserts the key into the door. He turns the knob and enters the room, preparing himself for the sight of a vacant room.

The bed is empty.

_See?_

There is a miniscule sinking feeling in the pit of Gaara's stomach. He is too busy wondering what it is to notice the dark haired boy pop his head out from a closet over to the left.

"Gaara!" The boy flings his arms around the redhead's waist. "What took you so long?"

The redhead very nearly smiles. Instead he strokes his hair and sets the bag full of clothes down by the door. "There was a line."

**Told you so.**

"I was putting the rest of your things away." Neji explains softly, wondering if Gaara was still mad about earlier.

"Oh. Why?"

"What do you mean, 'why'?" Neji asks, confused.

"We're probably not going to be here for long." Gaara tells him. "I was actually planning on leaving tomorrow morning."

"...Oh." Neji's face falls. "I'll... I'll take them back out, then."

"Don't worry about it. You just relax." Gaara playfully shoves him away. Neji smiles brightly, glad that the older male isn't angry with him. Gaara picks up the remote from the dresser and tosses it at Neji, who fumbles with it for a bit before securing it in his hands. He turns on the TV while climbing back up on the bed and starts flipping through the channels. A few minutes later, he settles on some family game show.

Across the room, Gaara gestures to the shirt draped over the boy's frame. "You gonna sleep in that?"

Neji fights a blush. "Mm-hm."

"Suit yourself."

Neji exchanges the remote for the hairbrush on the bedside table, and starts up on his nightly routine of brushing his hair one hundred strokes.

He sits cross-legged on the bed, pulling the brush through his hair carefully, only half paying attention to the show on TV. Gaara takes the clothes out from the closet and transfers them back to the suitcases. A comfortable silence settles over the both of them.

When Neji finishes, he piles his hair up into a bun atop his head, securing it with a hair tie that had previously been around his wrist. "Gaara? I think I'm going to go to bed now."

Gaara looks up, and is surprised by how... different the boy looks with his hair up. A few locks have escaped the bun, and now frame his face gently. The boy is looking at him with those large pale eyes, soft lips parted slightly. He turns toward the TV briefly, exposing the pale column of his neck as well as revealing a fading love bite Gaara had given him the previous Friday. The starch white shirt compliments the boy's smooth skin. Neji is oblivious as he shuts off the TV. Gaara tries to think of something to say, but is too entranced by the younger boy. Shukaku seems to be shocked into silence as well.

"…Gaara?" White eyes blink innocently.

"Uh, yeah. Me too." The redhead closes the suitcase and sets it by the door next to its counterpart. He flicks off the light next to the doorframe, leaving the room lit only by a lamp on the bedside table. Neji lifts the comforter and crawls underneath it, making room for Gaara, who slides in next to him.

The room is mostly silent, with only the heater in the corner rattling ever so often. There are shadows in the corners, but Neji is comforted by the warm weight of the older male next to him. He is a bit giddy at the fact that this is the first time he was actually in a bed with Gaara, was actually going to fall asleep next to him, was actually going to wake up to messy red hair and Gaara's scent on the sheets. Neji knows he is tired, but doesn't feel like going to sleep right away.

"Gaara," Neji starts, propping his head up on his elbow. "What were you in jail for?"

Gaara turns, sitting up and copying Neji's position, so that the two males are facing each other on the bed. He reaches forward to twirl a lock of Neji's hair around his finger. "The first time was for some stupid shit. Drug possession. I technically didn't go to a real jail because I was like, 16 at the time."

_Neji's age now._

**Nine years ago. Fuck, you're old.**

"And the second time?"

"Weapons possession. They tried to get me for murder, but there was no evidence." Gaara grins to himself.

"Oh. ...Okay." Talking about murder made Neji uncomfortable. If there was one detail from last night that he could erase from his memory, it would be the fact that Gaara had killed his mother. _But... it's not like you saw him do it. Maybe Gaara just told me that to scare me...?_

_And even if he did, it must've been for a really, really good reason. And I'm sure he wouldn't ever do it again._ Neji thinks of his father's words again. _Gaara isn't… he's not dangerous. I'm sure of it._ He didn't think anyone he knew was capable of taking another person's life.

"How long were you in there? Both times." Neji asks, trying to navigate away from the murder topic.

"Uhh..." Gaara rolls over onto his back, looking up at the ceiling as he tries to remember. "The first time was for a year, I think. And the second time was for..." His eyes close in concentration. "Three years? Until I was paroled."

"Oh."

**Why don't you tell him about his father--**

_Shut up. This isn't the time._

**So when is the time? After Daddy Hyuuga shows up with the entire Konoha police force?**

"So when did—" The events of the day finally seem to have caught up with him. Neji interrupts himself with a yawn, barely able to cover his mouth with his hand.

"Am I boring you, angel?" Gaara asks, amused.

"No! No, I'm just... kind of tired."

"Go to sleep, then."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'll still be here in the morning."

The brunet smiles.

He snuggles into the redhead, and Gaara wraps his arm around him. They share one last soft kiss before Gaara reaches over and turns off the lamp next to the bed, plunging the room into absolute darkness. After a few minutes, their breathing evens out. Neji can feel Gaara's body relaxing into the bed.

The wind and Gaara's heartbeat are the only sounds Neji can hear.

He thinks of his father briefly, and has to squeeze his eyes shut tightly to stop them from tearing up. The fight they had yesterday is still fresh in his mind. The things Hiashi had said about Gaara... but Neji knew he was wrong. He had to be. Gaara completed Neji, and if he had to give up his old life to be with him, well, then so be it. The hardest part would be missing his family and friends, but as long as he has the older man around to distract him, things will be fine. He was nearly positive.

He knows that it would be difficult adjusting from his old life to… this. And he knows that he might never see his family or friends again. This time yesterday he had been just arriving home from hanging out at the mall and being shyly asked by his younger sister for help with her homework. Now he was miles away, sharing a motel room with the love of his life, who also happened to be an alleged murderer.

_It's gonna be worth it._ He tells himself, and honestly believes it.

In the morning he'll wake up next to Gaara, and he'll have breakfast with him. They'll probably drive around some more, and though Neji dislikes being in a car for multiple hours, it all seems worth it to hear Gaara hum along with the radio and feel the wind in his hair as he looks out of the window, watching the stores and nameless people go by.

And Neji feels so... content. Like this was where he belonged. Warm and safe in Gaara's arms.

The redhead beside him starts snoring. Neji smiles and intertwines their fingers. His father, his sisters, his friends seem so far away now.

He is sure that he has made the right decision.


	3. damp

i don't own naruto.

i'm happy this chapter was completed a lot faster than the last one. i think it came out okay, but the next one's definitely going to be better. :] i'm sorry if Neji reminds you of Haku in this one. and i promise that after this chapter he only cries once more. the summary of this story is probably going to change a lot, with more pairings added as they get farther away from Konoha (and also if Naruto and Sasuke stop being dicks to each other). also sorry if the tense changing gets a little confusing, lol it confuses me too. lots of thanks to everyone who reviewed! you guys are awesome.

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

_**Friday, November 6**_

**11:21AM  
**

- o -

All conversation ceases as Hinata joins the table. She sits down between Sakura and Ino, who had previously been fighting but stopped as soon as the dark haired girl arrived. It seemed sort of tactless to argue about who should work on the English project with Sasuke when your friend's older brother was missing.

No one wants to be the first to speak. It makes Hinata feel uncomfortable. What she really wants is for everyone to act like they normally do, instead of being so careful and sympathetic around her. It has been about four days since Neji's disappearance, and of course by now the entire town knew about it. She has already been stopped seven times today, but both students and teachers, who wanted to know if she was okay. Each time Hinata assures them that she is fine, and that they are confident that Neji will turn up at any moment.

Their table is the quietest in the lunchroom. Even Naruto and Kiba, who usually insulted each other non stop from morning to night, are eating their food without speaking, a difficult task for both of them.

Finally, Sakura speaks up.

"Are you okay?"

Hinata sighs inwardly. She appreciates Sakura's concern, but even the silence that had settled over the table would have been better than being asked that again. Still, she turns and smiles softy at the girl.

"I'm f-fine. Thank y-you for asking."

"How's Hanabi doing?"

"She's doing okay. Better than I th-thought she would be."

"So..." Kiba starts. Everyone looks over to the brown-haired boy, expecting him to be the first to explicitly mention the topic. "Do you, uh, know why he left? Did he leave a note or anything?"

Hinata swallows, shaking her head. "N-no."

"Maybe he's staying with Lee or Tenten." Ino chimes in. "Did you ask them?"

Hinata nods. Her father had practically stormed the two separate households, interrogating Neji's best friends for at least an hour each. Lee had appreciated Hiashi's enthusiasm and even volunteered to put up flyers and such 'to aid in Neji's youthful return'. Tenten, however, wasn't so receptive to Hiashi's tactics. The young girl had flat out told the older man that she wasn't hiding Neji in her basement or anything of the sort, and that he would be the first to know if she was, but he needed to get out of her house immediately or else she would get very upset.

"Maybe he's just lost in your mansion." Naruto jokes, trying to lighten the mood. "You've got like what, seventy-five rooms? He probably can't find his way out of the east wing or something."

Hinata blushes slightly, throwing a grateful smile in Naruto's direction. He was always able to make any situation seem less serious. Her blush deepens as he smiles back at her.

"Oh, right, because you should be talking, Mr. Mayor's son." Ino smirks. "What's the matter, Sannin Manor is too small for you all of a sudden?"

Naruto grins. "Well, they _have_ been doing construction on the conservatory for months..."

Everyone at the table laughs casually, and Hinata relaxes a bit.

"Maybe Neji is tired of this." Sasuke says suddenly, more to himself than to anyone else. The laughter dies down, and Naruto's grin falls. He doesn't have a problem with the attention being on someone else, but the fact that it is Sasuke makes it an issue.

"What do you mean, Sasuke?" Ino asks politely. The Uchiha had never been a talkative person in the past, and ever since he came back from his five-year stay with his uncle Orochimaru, he spoke even less. People usually wanted to keep him talking for as long as possible. "Tired of what?"

Now, with the spotlight on him, Sasuke doesn't have a choice but to answer. "Of... _this._" Sasuke gestures vaguely. "Of Konoha. Of attending private school. Of his friends, his family." He tapers off uncertainly, not sure if everyone at the table understood what he was saying. "Of all the... expectations people have for him."

Hinata nods silently-- she had been thinking the same thing yesterday, when her father returned from the police station. She had watched Hiashi pace around, wondering aloud what could have possibly driven Neji to run away-- he had everything he could want already, or so he thought. Hinata herself could think of at least a dozen reasons why Neji would want to run away, with the first of these reasons being a tall redhead. She opens her mouth to thank him, but Naruto cuts her off.

"Well, of course our resident _deserter _would be able to relate the most." Naruto remarks offhandedly.

Hinata closes her mouth as the overall mood at the table abruptly goes sour. The blond looks relaxed, but his bright blue eyes are fixed on Sasuke, daring him to deny it.

Sasuke's eyes narrow. "This isn't about me, Naruto."

"Oh, I'm sorry Sasuke. I was just hoping that maybe you could enlighten us some more on what would drive a person to run away from home, since you're the expert on the subject." Naruto's eyes glint maliciously as he leans foreword, a stark contrast to the cheerful attitude he possessed only moments before.

"I already told you. Maybe he couldn't give what was required of him anymore. Not everyone's parents are as easy going as yours. Some have these things called _rules_, Naruto. Maybe you've heard of them."

Hinata knows firsthand that this statement is an accurate one. The old, noble families of Konoha preserved family traditions and cultures from generations ago, wanting to bring their children up correctly. While Naruto lived in luxury, his family was nouveau riche. Tsunade had been born into a middle class family, but had worked her way through politics and became mayor of Konoha. Her husband, Jiraiya, had grown up in poverty, but that had changed once his adult book business had taken off. Naruto, who had grown up in an orphanage up until he was adopted by the couple, had none of the strict upbringing that Sasuke and Neji had.

"Sasuke…" Sakura tries hesitantly.

"So you're telling me that the great Sasuke Uchiha left his home, without even telling his _best friend_, because he was afraid of some _rules_?" Naruto scoffs, rising from his seat with his fists clenched.

"It was complicated, idiot!" Sasuke hisses, face coloring in anger. "There was _school_, there was my _brother_, there--"

"Then you should have told me!" Naruto yells. "Fuck, Sasuke, I would have done anything for you!"

"You guys—"

"Oh, right, like you would have cared. You were too busy trying to get with Sakura to even notice that there was something wrong with me in the first place!"

"Would you two get over yourselves?" Chouji snaps, slamming his fist down on the table. "I'm sorry, but Neji being missing is a little more important than whatever happened between you two in the past."

Everyone is shocked. Chouji rarely ever raised his voice, and never to his friends. The larger boy takes a deep breath, then exhales. Sasuke's eyes flicker from Naruto to Chouji, then down at his lunch, nodding slightly.

However, Naruto never can resist getting the last word in. He glares at the other boy as he sits back down.

"I don't even know why you sit here. Fucking traitor."

Obsidian eyes snap up. The two stare at each other for a moment. Then suddenly Sasuke slams his fork down.

"Fine."

"Sasuke--" Sakura starts, reaching forward to place a comforting hand on his.

"No. Fuck you, Naruto." He stands up, gathering up the rest of his lunch. He pushes his chair back hard enough for it to clatter to the ground, then steps over it to go sit at another table halfway across the cafeteria. Suigetsu looks up and grins as Sasuke takes a seat next to Juugo.

"Nice going, Naruto." Ino glares.

"Shut up." Naruto says moodily, stabbing viciously at a piece of chicken on his lunch tray.

The table eats in an uncomfortable silence. Naruto is the most optimistic, cheerful guy any of them knew, so when he was in a bad mood, it affected everyone. Luckily, the blond could never stay upset for too long.

"I wonder why the police haven't been making a big deal about Neji's disappearance." Chouji says quietly after a couple of minutes.

"You should've asked Sasuke before he left." Shino remarks, for the first time all lunch period.

"Wait..." Kiba asks, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hinata, was Neji still seeing that Sabaku guy?" At the mention of the name, everyone at the table looks up with interest, including Naruto.

"Um... ah…" Her father had told Hinata not to mention Gaara to anyone. He said it would make the family look bad. Hinata didn't see what the problem was, because everyone knew about it anyway, but she wanted to respect her father's wishes. Luckily, she doesn't have to say anything.

"Yeah, he was! My mother saw them together last Friday." Ino interrupts excitedly.

"So maybe Neji moved in with him or something." Kiba shrugs, taking another bite of his sandwich.

The group slowly eases back into a more comfortable atmosphere.

Sakura leans in to Ino. "If you ask me, Shikamaru made a much better boyfriend." The blonde nods in agreement.

"Definitely. What does Neji see in Gaara anyway, Hinata? He seems kind of creepy to me."

Hinata is blushing. "Um..."

"I heard he once killed a busload of people by slamming into it with his car when he was drunk." Kiba remarks.

"That makes no sense. He would have died too, dumbass." Naruto scoffs, quickly reverting back to his usual self.

Ino leans in. "I heard he murdered his uncle when he was twelve years old."

Chouji frowns. "I thought it was his sister."

"Nah, his sister's still alive. She lives in Iwaga. She's a dentist or something." Kiba answers.

"How do you know all this, Kiba?"

The brown-haired boy shrugs. "Hana likes to gossip."

The rest of the period is spent gossiping about Neji's boyfriend (or ex boyfriend, as some had speculated). By the time Hinata's next class starts, she feels more calm and optimistic about her brother than she had before. Some of the things they had talked about were completely ridiculous, and the more she thought about it, the less likely it seemed that Neji was never going to return.

_Right._ Hinata thinks to herself as she enters the class, dismissing one of the possibilities they had discussed at the table. _Like Neji would ever run away from home to live on the road with an ex-convict._

* * *

_**Saturday, November 7 to Sunday, November 8**_

- o -

Gaara shakes Neji awake at nine o' clock Saturday morning. "Get up." He says to the longhaired boy as he brushes his teeth. "Check out is at ten."

Neji only has time for a quick shower before he throws on the clothes he wore yesterday and the day before. While Gaara returns the room key to the front desk, Neji wrings the water out of his hair outside, next to Gaara's car. It's chillier out today than it was yesterday, and Neji is afraid that he'll catch a cold if he stays outside for too long.

When Gaara comes outside, he looks from the shivering, wet-haired boy standing in front of the passenger door, to the three suitcases and one shopping bag in front of the trunk he left open. He frowns.

"You could have put those away in the meantime, you know."

"Hmm?" Neji looks over. "Oh." He had automatically assumed that Gaara was going to put the suitcases in the trunk. Neji is used to people doing things for him. "Sorry."

Gaara sighs and unlocks the car. Neji opens the door and gets in, while Gaara goes around back and opens up the trunk.

"Gaara," Neji calls, leaning out of the car with one had on the handle of the still-opened door. "Can I have the keys? It's freezing in here."

Gaara growls, but tosses the keys to Neji, who fumbles with them a bit before catching them.

"Thank you!"

Soon they are back on the highway. Neji re-reads the magazine from Tuesday. His stomach starts growling after an hour and a half on the road.

"I'm hungry." He tells Gaara.

"There's a bag of chips in the back."

Neji blinks. "But I want breakfast."

Gaara groans. "Fine. Whatever."

Neji had quickly learned that life as a runaway isn't as exciting as he thought it would be in the last couple of days. The only thing they did during the day was drive. He knows that they were trying to get away from Konoha, but they had to be far enough by now, right? Now, he thinks about how there must be more to living on the road with Gaara than this as they drive along the street. At one point they drive past a bookstore. He begs Gaara for a good twenty minutes until the older man growls in frustration, slams on the breaks, and turns around in the middle of the intersection and drives back. In the bookstore he buys Neji two novels and tells him that he "better read slow 'cause this is all I'm buying you for a while".

At some point during the day he takes time to think about what his friends are doing. It's about 3:00, which would mean that everyone would just be getting out of school. Normally, he would hang out with Lee and Tenten for a while before he went home to start his homework. He wonders what his two best friends are doing without him. Are they worried? Are they looking for him? And what about his father? By now he was probably freaking out about not knowing where his son was.

They check into another motel that night. They watch TV for a while, then Gaara takes a shower. The redhead briefly considers inviting the boy to join him, but the incident that happened on Tuesday is still fresh in his mind, and no doubt in Neji's as well. The younger male has hardly even let Gaara kiss him since then, and it was starting to irritate the redhead. He attempts to jerk off in the shower but Shukaku won't shut up in his head, telling him over and over that there was no need for him to resort to self-satisfaction because there was a boy out there who would be perfectly willing if Gaara worked for it a little. The redhead ends up turning the hot water tap off and finishes his shower cold. He exits the bathroom to find Neji lying on the bed, finishing off the last pack of microwave noodles that Gaara had picked up two days ago.

Neji showers in the morning, and when they get into the car he complains about how all of the motel shampoo is drying out his hair and making it smell like chemicals. Breakfast is from a fast food restaurant, and even though they get it from the drive-through Gaara makes Neji get out and eat outside the car. The redhead himself doesn't order anything.

When Neji is done eating, he climbs in to the backseat and continues reading the books Gaara bought him, curled up on the seat with his feet tucked under him. He begs Gaara to change the radio station to something more upbeat than what they were listening to currently, until Gaara growls in frustration and shuts it off entirely, claiming that it's broken. Neji shrugs and goes back to reading his book, completely unaware of Gaara's increasing aggravation.

* * *

_**Sunday, November 8**_

**5:33PM**

- o -

Mid-afternoon they pull into a gas station. Neji sits on the hood of the car, leaning against the windshield with his arms folded behind his head while Gaara pumps gas into the tank. The air is rich with the smell of gasoline, and Neji is smitten with it. Back in Konoha, the family limousine (as well as the family SUV and the family Mercedes) was always filled up with gas before they had to pick up one of the Hyuugas. Neji basks in the scent, eyes closed blissfully. It is chilly outside, as expected to be in the beginning of November, but Neji is tired of being in the car and the sun warms him up a little anyway.

Gaara finishes filling up the tank and replaces the pump back into the holster. He closes the gas tank, than mutters something about going inside the station to pick up some things.

Neji inhales deeply, enjoying the thick smell of diesel mixed with the frosty November air. Despite how bored he is when they drive around, it was times like these that make him feel truly free. He doesn't have any responsibilities. He doesn't have to worry about school, or curfew, or taking care of his sisters, or sneaking around with Gaara so his father doesn't catch him. Here, he doesn't feel caged up like he does back at home. He smiles, stretching against the hood of the car.

Neji sits up as his stomach grumbles and sees Gaara approaching the car. The redhead returns with two cases of beer and a bottle of aspirin.

"What's for dinner?" Neji asks inquisitively, stretching against the hood of the car.

Gaara grunts. "Nothing."

"What?" Neji tilts his head to the side, frowning slightly. The redhead must be joking. "Why not?"

"Because I don't have any money left." Gaara says as he sets the bag in the backseat.

"... What?" Neji asks again, confused. They didn't have any money left? The idea was such a foreign concept to him. "What do you mean?"

"I. Don't. Have. Any. Money. Left. Except for this." Gaara holds up a crumpled fifty-dollar bill. "But we need it for the motel."

"But what about me?" The brunet asks worriedly, sliding off the car to stand in front of the older man.

"What _about _you, Neji?"

"What am I going to eat?"

"You can go without dinner for one night. It's not gonna kill you."

"B-but--"

"_What?"_

"But you spent the rest of the money on alcohol! You could have gotten food for me!" Neji cries, stamping his foot childishly.

"You should have thought about that before you made me go to that bookstore yesterday." Gaara mutters, running his hand through his hair in agitation.

The dark-haired boy is starting to cause a scene. Passerbys stop to look at the two of them, whispering among themselves. Gaara doesn't like drawing attention to himself in the first place, but especially not now when he was on the run from the police with an under aged boy in his possession. He refuses to get caught outside of a gas station just because his traveling companion was whining.

"…You just... wasted it on alcohol!" Gaara tunes back in to catch the tail end of the boy's ranting.

**Damn, he hasn't shut up yet?**

"I like to drink. So it's not a waste." Gaara says, completely serious. He is sick of catering to the brat. He can't remember the last time he had spent money solely on himself. Every time they got near a store, the kid was always there begging for something or other. It was the last of his money and he should be able to spend it anyway he wanted. It's not his fault the kid didn't bring his credit cards.

Neji whines. "But I'm hungry!"

"And I don't care." The redhead snaps, looking around to see how many people were witnessing the longhaired boy's tantrum. "You won't die, you had breakfast this morning."

"_Gaara, _I want dinner! Now!" White eyes are narrowed in anger. "You-- you can't spend money on alcohol when I'm starving and--"

_Who the fuck does he think he's talking to?_

**Oh, shit.**

Gaara snaps. He spent four days putting up with this shit and now he's sick of it. Grabbing the front of the boy's shirt, he shoves Neji up against the side of the car. The longhaired boy cries out as his back hits the metal hard, eyes going wide with fear. "Yeah? And who's money was it, baby?" Gaara snarls, leaning in dangerously close to Neji's face.

Neji swallows, looking up at Gaara, suddenly not feeling so hungry anymore. "Y-yours."

"What? I didn't hear you."

"Yours, Gaara." Neji says, his eyes brimming with tears.

"That's what I thought." Gaara releases the younger male. "Now get in the fucking car."

* * *

**6:02PM  
**

- o -

The ride to the motel is mostly silent. Neji spends it curled up in the back seat, face pressed against the glass as he tries not to cry. Gaara had never yelled or cursed or acted that way towards him before, and Neji is terrified. The redhead had not injured him or anything, but Neji feels as if the intent was still there.

The older male was so… scary when he was mad. Neji had never seen the redhead upset like that before, and the fact that Gaara's anger was toward him made it ten times worse. He keeps wishing for Gaara to turn around and apologize, but the older male never does.

_There's nothing for you to be afraid of. He's still the same person. Just a little bit... angry. Everyone gets angry, Neji. Even your father does sometimes. Like… like earlier this week._

Neji shuts his eyes, not wanting to recall the events that occurred before he had left to go to Gaara's last Tuesday. Before that day, Neji's father had only raised his fist to his children on very few occasions. He was a strict man, that was undeniable, but he was not abusive in any way, shape, or form and he loved his children with all his heart. Not like--

._Stop._ He tells himself. _Don't compare them to each other. They're two different people. _His father had to love him, that was a given. But Neji is supposed to earn Gaara's love.

_Still… this is what father must have meant. _He thinks, re-opening his eyes as the car drives off the highway.

Voices from the front of the car catch Neji's attention. He raises his head slightly and looks at the front of the car. Gaara is talking. Not loudly, it was more like he was muttering than anything else, but still. Neji is confused-- he knows Gaara doesn't have a cell phone, and he wasn't singing along to the radio. The urge to ask the older man who he was talking to was immediately dismissed.

His stomach growls. Neji closes his eyes and tries not to think about it. He has never missed a meal in his life. The Hyuuga kitchens were always fully stocked with food, and his father always made sure he stayed healthy by eating properly. His head starts to hurt and he notes that it is probably because of the gasoline he inhaled.

Neji wipes his eyes as Gaara pulls up into the parking lot of a motel. He stays silent as the redhead parks the car, only exhaling deeply as soon as the redhead gets out, slamming the door behind him.

**You're just gonna leave him in there to sulk? **Shukaku asks amusedly as Gaara stalks across the parking lot.

_He can stay in there all night if he wants to. Kid's a pain in the ass. _

**You should have seen this coming. He's a spoiled brat, there's no way he can last on the road.**

_Thanks for warning me in advance, Shukaku._

Neji watches Gaara go inside from the window of the car, then as he emerges five minutes later and goes up a flight of stairs to the second level of the motel.

Neji finally gets out of the car when it becomes too cold for him to stay inside any longer. He makes sure that all the doors are locked before climbing the steps to the room he saw Gaara go into about ten minutes beforehand. Thankfully, the older male has left the door open. Neji slips in quietly and closes the door behind him.

Gaara is reclining on the bed, downing beers and watching TV. The lights are all off, and Neji nearly trips over one of the suitcases. Their eyes meet for a moment. Neji looks down, fidgeting with the bottom of his shirt.

"I-- I'm going to take a bath." He says, then rushes over to the bathroom. Gaara downs the rest of his beer.

Neji shuts the bathroom door behind him, neglecting to lock it as he moves over to the bathtub and turns on the taps. He adjusts the temperature until it is to his liking, then strips off all his clothes. His is prepared to leave them lying on the floor, but then realizes that no one is going to pick them up for him. Sighing, he folds them up and places them on top of the sink. He then ties his hair up so it wouldn't get wet-- sleeping on it would be uncomfortable.

The bathtub is only a little bit cramped, but the water is just hot enough for Neji's liking, and he sinks into the tub with a sigh.

* * *

**7:12PM**

- o -

Gaara stumbles into the bathroom, steadying himself on the doorframe. It seems as if the man was in the process of getting undressed for bed, as he is clad only in his boxers. Neji can tell right away that he is drunk, and fear washes over him immediately. It is at this moment he truly realizes how much bigger Gaara is than him. The man is nearly a foot taller than Neji, as well as an additional one hundred and twenty pounds. What if Gaara… what if he hit him? Neji has heard stories of individuals who turned violent after a couple of drinks. Sasuke Uchiha had confided in him, back in elementary school when they were best friends, that his father was one of those types of people. He had even shown him a bruise on his stomach from one of the Chief of Police's most recent rampages and made him promise not to tell anyone. Neji never did.

Neji looks around slowly, barely able to conceal his panic. If Gaara did try to hit him, there is nothing he can use to defend himself. The exit is on the other side of the room, but there is no way he could get past the older man.

In short, Neji is trapped.

Gaara takes an unsteady step towards the bathtub, then another. "You... you mad at me, baby?"

"No..." Neji sinks down further into the bathtub, his chin breaching the surface of the water. He stares straight ahead, but from the corner of his eye, he can see the redhead ambling over towards him.

"You sure?" Gaara kneels downs next to the bathtub. He places his warm hand on one of Neji's pale knees, sliding his fingertips to the place where the edge of the water meets Neji's skin and back again.

"Yes, Gaara." Neji is shaking in the bathtub, but the redhead doesn't seem to notice. Another thought occurs to him. What if Gaara tries to have sex with him instead? Neji still wasn't sure if he was prepared enough to do it in a normal situation, let alone when Gaara was drunk. He pushes his knees together tightly, and breathes a sigh of relief when Gaara withdraws his hand.

"Gimmie a kiss." Gaara's green eyes are hazy and unfocused.

Neji's eyes widen. This could not be happening. "Gaara..."

"Pleashe baby?" Gaara grabs Neji's chin.

"I don't-- MMmm." Gaara kisses him firmly on the mouth. Neji resists momentarily, but after a while his eyes slide closed. Gaara pushes his tongue into the boy's mouth, and Neji soon discovers that the redhead kisses sloppily when he's drunk. It feels as if the redhead is trying to suffocate him. The situation would be laughable if Neji wasn't so frightened. He can taste the alcohol in Gaara's mouth as clearly as if he had been drinking it himself, and it makes him slightly ill.

_Please... don't let him try to..._

Gaara pulls away first, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He squints at the boy for a second. "Shukaku tole' me to..." the larger male hiccups. "...To tell you tha' you cry too fuckin' much." He slurs.

_What...?_

The redhead stands up shakily. It seems as if he's trying to look at Neji, but he is swaying so much that he is unable to do so. Finally he turns and exits the bathroom, leaving the door ajar.

Neji sits in the tub, shaking. He wraps his arms around his knees. He is extremely relieved that Gaara didn't try to hit him or touch him or anything like that, but there still is a chance that something could happen as soon as he enters the other room. He can't stay in the bathtub forever. The water is already growing cold around him. Despite his nervousness, Neji can't help but wince as he lifts a hand from the water. _Ew. I'm going to get all pruny._

Ten minutes later, he drains the water from the tub and gets out, grabbing one of the white motel towels from the rack on the wall. He dries himself off quickly, then lets his hair back down.

He opens the bathroom door slowly and as quietly as possible, fastening the towel closed around his waist.

Gaara is passed out on the bed with a can of beer tipped over onto its side next to him, the amber liquid seeping into the sheets. Neji sighs in relief, leaning against the doorframe for one moment before entering the room fully. The redhead is ten times less threatening when he is unconscious on a motel bed, snoring loudly. As he approaches the bed, Neji can only look at Gaara. He clasps a hand over his mouth as tears sting at his eyes. _Stop. _He thinks._ Gaara doesn't like it when you cry._ He wipes his eyes._ Or rather, 'Shukaku' doesn't like it when you cry. I wonder who that is...?_

He reaches for the beer can and grasps it gingerly, before taking it over to the garbage can by the door and dropping it in. He thinks about attempting to clean up the mess on the bed as well, but Neji doesn't want to wake Gaara up so he decides to leave it.

Neji realizes that the door is still unlocked since earlier that night. The keys dangle from the lock, and just as he moves to turn them, a thought occurs to him.

_You could leave right now._

Neji freezes.

_Gaara's car is right there and his keys are on top of the dresser. There's a full talk of gas in the car. All you'd have to do is put on your clothes and leave. You could ask someone which way to Konoha; by the time Gaara wakes up you'd probably be halfway home. There's no way he could catch up to you, he doesn't have any money left so it's not like he could take a cab. And sure, you'd be stealing his car, but he's a criminal anyway. The only place he belongs is _

_in _

_jail_

"Stop!" Neji whispers harshly to himself, terrified. He clutches his hands to his head, eyes closed tightly as he sinks to the floor. How could he even think such thoughts? He _loved_ Gaara! So what if he was hungry and scared right now? Was he really entertaining thoughts of leaving the man he loved passed out in a motel room?

_How could I even think such a thing?_ He asks himself, trembling on the floor.

_He… he didn't have to take me with him. He could have left me there. He… he saved me from that life, rescued me. He's paid for my food and for places to sleep at night and even things I don't need. And all I've done is complain. I owe him so much._

God, what was wrong with him? Gaara's life was difficult enough as it is, he didn't need Neji around spending all of his money and complaining all of the time. _Gaara would be better off if I wasn't here. _He thinks sadly. _Why would he want to take me with him now? He probably hates me. _

Neji is once again scared, but this time for a different reason than he was in the bathroom or in the gas station. What if he has pushed Gaara too far? Days ago, when he was crying in Gaara's driveway, it had never occurred to him that driving the older man away himself was a possible way of losing him.

_No. I… I can't let this happen. I have to stop being so weak. I need to prove to Gaara that I can survive like this, and that I can be beneficial to him so he doesn't leave me._

The longhaired boy sniffles, and a tear threatens to slide down his cheek, but he raises his hand and firmly rubs it away. _I can't do this anymore, either. _He tells himself firmly. _I'm practically an adult now. I can't fall apart for everything. _

Neji stays on the floor until his breathing slows. Then he gets up shakily and goes over to one of the suitcases. He digs around inside it until he finds the shirt that he has been sleeping in. He drops the towel on the floor and pulls on the shirt, buttoning it up all of the way to the top.

After putting on his sleepwear, he goes over to the bed once more, looking sadly down at the redhead. "Gaara." He whispers, nudging him a bit but not really expecting him to wake up. He places his hand on Gaara's chest, feeling how warm the man's skin is. He slides his hand down to the man's stomach, feeling the tightly corded muscles and suppressing a shiver. A trail of dark red hair leads into the older male's boxers, but Neji focuses instead on the words inked into the male's skin just below his navel.

**R.I.P. YASHAMARU**

Neji plans on asking Gaara about this Yashamaru person some other time. There are no other tattoos on the red haired male's torso, but there is a long scar under his left nipple that looked like it could be a knife wound. Neji moves on to Gaara's left arm. On the inside of his wrist is a creepy looking brown eyeball with what looked like grains of sand on it. Further up there is another name, _**Shukaku**_, etched in large bold letters. _There's that name again. _From the top of Gaara's shoulder down to his elbow is some sort of tribal design.

Taking up most of Gaara's upper right arm is an image of a bloodthirsty Tanuki, ravaging a village. On the inside of his forearm there are worlds printed in dark red ink, but it is too dark for Neji to make out what they say. He thinks about turning on the light, but he doesn't want Gaara to wake up.

"Gaara," He whispers, brushing the older male's messy red hair away from his forehead. "I'm sorry." He presses a kiss to the redhead's temple. "I'll try to be more useful to you from now on. I promise."

Neji wants to crawl into bed next to Gaara, but the sheets are wet and stink of booze, so he decides to sleep on the couch tonight.

He makes his way over to the couch and drops down on it. The cushions are soft but slightly itchy. Luckily, the heater is actually working in this motel room, so the absence of a blanket doesn't make much of a difference. He lies back, shifting around until he is comfortably lying on his side, facing the back of the couch.

Neji slowly drifts off to sleep.

* * *

**_Wednesday, August 20_**

**one year ago**

**4:29PM  
**

_"Good Afternoon, Mr. Hyuuga. Is Neji home?"_

_Hiashi stood at the front door, frowning at the pony-tailed teenager standing on the extravagant front porch of the Hyuuga Mansion, slouching against the carved metal handrails. It was rare that Hiashi opened the door to his own house, but he had just gotten home from work and had been standing closer to the door than any of the servants. _

_"Yes, he is. And you are?"_

_"Shikamaru Nara. I'm a friend of Neji's. May I speak with him for a little while?"_

_Hiashi studied the boy intently. The teen gazed back steadily, looking completely relaxed with his hands in his pockets._

_"One moment." Hiashi shut the front door in Shikamaru's face. Shikamaru rolled his eyes._

_Five minutes later, the door re-opened, and Neji slipped out, closing the door behind him and leaning against it. "Hi." He said, smiling._

_"Hey." Shikamaru grinned lazily. Neji cocked his head to the side, seemingly waiting for something. Shikamaru took the bait and leaned forward, cupping the boy's cheek gently and kissing him on the mouth._

_"I told you I'd come see you before you left." The younger boy said with a smile as he pulled back._

"_I believed you. My father said I have half an hour before I have to be back inside."_

_Shikamaru frowned. "Why? I was thinking that we could go get ice cream at the park or something."_

"_Well… daddy said that it's too hot to be outside. Plus he doesn't know you, so…"_

"_Neji, it's summer! You just turned fifteen, for goodness' sake."_

_Neji blushed. "I'm sorry, Shikamaru." He said, tucking his hair behind his ear. "Um... we could go around back, if you want."_

_At the other boy's raised eyebrow, Neji blushed. "I mean... in the garden. We could have some privacy. There are security cameras out here, you know."_

_"Alright." Neji smiled again and took the other boy's hand, leading him off of the porch and over to a gate that separated two large hedges from each other. _

_The Hyuuga Mansion Garden wasn't nearly as big as the house, but it was still quite beautiful and one of the loveliest gardens in Konoha. Neji's mother used to take care of all by herself. After her death, Hiashi hired professional gardeners to make sure it stayed as beautiful and lively as she had been. _

_In the center of the garden, there was a gazebo surrounded by white rose bushes. This was Neji's favorite place in the entire Hyuuga Estate. _

_Neji sat down on one of the benches, then changed his mind and decided to lie down on it instead. Shikamaru took a seat on the ground, leaning back against the bench Neji was lying on._

_"You know," Shikamaru started. "If this place didn't have a roof, we could see the clouds."_

_"It's too hot. We wouldn't have any shade."_

_It was late August, roughly about a month and a half after Neji's 15th birthday. The sun was out all of the time, and many Konoha residents chose to stay inside instead of going out into the heat. Both boys were dressed in t-shirts and shorts. _

_School would be starting in a couple of weeks, and tomorrow, Shikamaru was leaving to go to the 'Suna Academy for the Extraordinarily Intelligent', which was hundreds of miles away. _

_"I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow." Neji said, picking a white rose from one of the bushes that grew into the interior of the gazebo. He held it up, then pulled off one of the petals and dropped it. It drifted down to Shikamaru's left, and the younger boy pulled it from the air and examined it. _

_"Yeah."_

_"Are you nervous?"_

_"No." Shikamaru shrugged. "It's just school."_

_"But what if all the other kids are smarter than you?"_

_"Then all the other kids are smarter than me."_

"_Things are gonna be different without you around." Neji said softly, looking away from the younger boy. _

"_Really? How so?"_

"_No one's going to be around to break up fights between Naruto and Kiba." The longhaired boy started off shakily. "And... I won't have anyone to look up at the clouds with, and… and… I-I mean, I…"_

_Shikamaru turned to look up at the older boy. Neji's eyes were squeezed shut, and tiny crystalline tears were forming at the corners._

"_Hey." Shikamaru said softly, sitting up on his knees and leaning over Neji's form to look at his face._

"_Sh—Shika…maru…"_

_"Stop crying, Neji. Come on, it's not that serious." Shikamaru leaned down and wiped the tears from the older boy's eyes. _

_"I- I know. It's just... that…." _

"_Neji," Shikamaru started sincerely, "You're too beautiful to cry." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Neji's cheek._

_Neji positively beamed, wiping his tears with his hand before lacing his fingers with the other boy's. "Shikamaru..." He smiled up at the younger boy_

_Shikamaru tugged the older boy down to the wooden floor of the structure. Neji got off of the bench and settled down on the ground next to Shikamaru. "I'm sure the second I leave, you're gonna meet and fall in love with some really hot guy and forget all about me."_

_Neji sniffled, then laughed. "Yeah, right."_

"_I'm serious."_

_They sat side by side, with Neji's head resting on Shikamaru's shoulder. The younger boy would reach up from time to time to wipe more of Neji's tears away, and soon there were no more._

_"I'm... I'm going to miss you. So much."_

_"I can tell." Shikamaru said lightly, grinning when he received a punch on the arm in response. "I'll miss you too, Neji."_

_Neji laid down again, with his head in Shikamaru's lap. The younger boy stroked Neji's hair gently, smiling at the content noises the other boy made. Neji's eyes slid closed, a happy sigh escaping from his lips. _

_Shikamaru was a little bit grateful that he couldn't see the clouds when he looked up, because he knew if he did, they would distract him from Neji. He wanted to make the most of the last couple of minutes he had with the older boy. _

_It is unclear how long they stayed like that, but eventually Neji's breathing evened out slowly, and Shikamaru's eyes started to droop as the sun traveled lower in the sky. _

_The two were disturbed sometime later by an urgent whisper that came from the outside of the gazebo. Neji opened his eyes and sat up, a bit embarrassed that he had dozed off a little. "Did you say something?" He asked his boyfriend, rubbing his eyes._

_Shikamaru looked around. "No."_

"_Neji! O-over here!" The two of them looked out of the Gazebo. Hinata was leaning out of a window on the second floor of the mansion. "Father's c-coming around to look for y-you!" _

_Neji's eyes widened. "Shikamaru! You have to leave!" He said, jumping up and smoothing out his slightly rumpled clothing. _

"_Trying to get rid of me?" Shikamaru smiled, which turned into a laugh as he saw the frightened expression on Neji's face. He stood up slowly. "I know, Neji. I've done this before. There's a path through those bushes, right?"_

"_Yes. Hurry, my father will—"_

_Shikamaru grabbed Neji around the waist, pulling him against him and kissing him hard. Neji hesitated for a split second before winding his arms around Shikamaru's neck, parting his lips and allowing Shikamaru to deepen it. _

_Hinata's face turned red. Because she was above the gazebo, the angle she was at prevented her from seeing their faces, now that they were standing up. However, she could definitely tell what they were doing by the closeness of their bodies._

_Neji pulled away from Shikamaru as he heard footsteps behind them. "Shikamaru!" He scolded breathlessly, but the blush on his cheeks took away from his tone._

"_Goodbye, Neji." Shikamaru said softly, letting go of his hand. He turned and stepped down from the gazebo, in the direction of the passageway he knew would take to the other side of the house and then to the street. He had to shield his eyes from the sun as he walked across the garden._

"_Bye, Hinata!" The Nara boy said as sort of an after thought, waving at the girl in the window._

"_Goodbye, S-Shikamaru!" She responded, still quite red in the face._

_Neji watched the younger boy until he had disappeared into the bushes. "…Bye." He whispered, his hand pressed to his lips._


	4. calm down

i don't own naruto.

this chapter was a pain in the butt to write. -.-; i'm sorry if it goes by really fast, or if it just generally sucks. there's probably a bunch of mistakes too. ugh i just got so tired of writing this chapter that i wanted to rrfinish it up and get it out as quickly as possible. plus neji freaking out over every little thing was getting pretty annoying.

one more thing: can anyone figure out what's significant about the day Neji first has sex with Gaara?

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

_**Monday, November 9**_

**11:13PM  
**

- o -

Gaara is woken up by the sound of someone banging on the door to the motel room. He groans, throwing his arm over his eyes and hoping that if he ignores it, it will go away. His head is pounding and his sheets are wet with sweat and alcohol. The knocking persists. Growling, he sits up slowly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He stumbles over to the door, unlocks it, and throws it open.

Standing in front of the door is a girl about Neji's age. Gaara can tell she is the bratty type by the way she stands in front of him with her arms crossed, loudly chewing gum and looking generally disinterested with everything. However, as soon as she sees Gaara, her mouth drops open. It isn't often that a muscular, six foot something redhead with tattoos clad only in boxers rented out a motel room. The usual customers are generally middle-aged couples on their second honeymoon or annoying college kids on spring break or something.

"What do you want?" Gaara asks, one arm braced against the door frame as he leans against it, squinting at the girl.

"Oh... um, my father-- the owner-- he sent me to tell you that check out was an hour ago..." The girl is blushing hard, stammering over her words as she tries and fails to not stare at the redhead in front of her.

"And?" The redhead says, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sun.

"Um... well, that was basically it but, uh, I mean... you know what, just take your time."

"Thanks." Gaara flashes a grin at the girl, who nearly has a heart attack. He shuts the door in her face before she can say anything else.

He lifts an arm and sniffs, coming to the conclusion that he needs a shower. On his way to the bathroom he sees Neji sleeping on the couch, one arm wrapped around his waist and the other dangling off the cushions. His thick, dark hair is spread out all over the couch, contrasting with Gaara's white dress shirt. Long, pale legs are stretched out on the sofa, hanging over the arm and crossed at the ankle. Gaara reaches out, stroking the boy's skin from just below Neji's knee, along his thigh and stopping right before the edge of the shirt. Neji stirs in his sleep. Gaara removes his hand and kneels down next to the couch.

"Baby. Wake up." He nudges the younger male's shoulder. The long haired male groans and rolls over, prompting the redhead to shake him harder.

The brunet moans sleepily. "Gaara...?" Neji awakens slowly, voice slightly hoarse from sleep.

"Yeah. Good morning." Gaara tries tentatively as he removes his hand, unsure if the boy is still upset about yesterday. The redhead doesn't feel bad at all about snapping at the boy, but he also doesn't want Neji to be afraid of him for the rest of his life.

"Hey..." _Gaara's awake! And he's not mad at me! _The thought brings a smile to Neji's lips. Before he could stop himself, Neji leans forward and kisses him sweetly. Gaara is surprised, but he kisses back, raising an eyebrow when they part.

"You... are you okay?" _Sorry about yesterday. _Neji wonders when he had started to translate Gaara's words into what he really meant.

"I'm fine. Thank you." _It's okay. I understand._

"Good." _You're welcome._

Neji sits up on the couch, stretching. Gaara mumbles something about taking a shower and heads off in the direction of the bathroom. Neji stays in the room and gathers up his clothes.

Gaara emerges from the shower a little while later, popping three aspirins and holding a towel around his waist. Neji is outside, leaning over the balcony and aimlessly looking up at the sky. He is dressed in one of Gaara's hoodies and the same jeans he had been wearing for the entire week. Gaara shakes his head. _This was getting ridiculous._ He was going to have to buy the kid some clothes.

Ten minutes later they exit the motel room together. Gaara winces as the sunlight hits his eyes.

Neji looks at him with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just hung over." Despite his pounding headache, Gaara's mood is actually bordering on happy. The kid wasn't going to be a bitch about what happened yesterday, which would have surely increased his headache.

On the way to the car Neji notices a girl sitting outside the check-in office with her eyes fixed on Gaara. The brunet frowns, feeling suddenly possessive, and reaches out for the redhead's hand. Gaara raises an eyebrow but allows Neji to link their fingers together. When the brunet looks away, Gaara grins and winks at the girl, who turns red.

The sun is shining and birds are chirping, but Neji knows better than to ask Gaara for breakfast. He gets into the passenger seat and buckles his seat belt. _We don't have any money left. _The thought hits hit like a jolt. He feels the beginning signs of panic coming on. _What are we going to do?_

_Wait. Just... calm down. Look, Gaara doesn't seem to be worrying about it, so why should you?_ He looks over at the redhead, who is grinning about something or other as he adjusts the rear view mirror.

_It'll all work out in the end._ Neji promises himself.

* * *

**2:06PM  
**

- o -

"A clinic?" Neji asks confusedly, staring at the sign above the door of the small white building. "What are we doing here?"

"You'll see." Gaara strolls through the automated door, gesturing for Neji to follow him. Inside, the long-haired boy takes a seat on one of the waiting chairs while Gaara goes up to the counter, says something to the receptionist, then starts to fill out a form.

When he is finished, the woman at the desk reads over the papers. After nodding at the redhead she gets up goes around to open the door to the back for him. Neji hurriedly gets up to follow the older male. They walk down a dimly lit hallway with square blue tiles on the floor. The receptionist opens another door at the end, revealing a small room with white walls. There is a table and two chairs in the center of the room.

"Wait here." The receptionist says, ushering the two of them into the room. Gaara sits down in one of the chairs, and Neji follows his example, taking a seat in the other vacant chair and scooting closer to the redhead.

"Gaara, why are we here?" He asks curiously.

The redhead rolls his eyes. "Shit, do you ever stop asking questions?" Gaara mutters, more to himself than to the kid. Unfortunately, Neji hears him.

"…Oh." Neji's face falls. "I… I'm sorry." He clasps his hands together, looking down into his lap. "I'll be more quiet from now on."

Gaara raises an eyebrow at the boy's complacency. "Aw, come on, babe. I was just kidding." He reaches over and ruffles Neji's hair, then wraps an arm around his shoulders and pulls Neji closer to him.

Neji almost blushes. It is unlike Gaara to be so affectionate in public. Even though there is no one around, Gaara usually keeps his hands to himself when they are in public. _Well, that was when you were back in Konoha. He couldn't really touch you or anything when people were around…_

The door opens, and this time a nurse enters. She nods a greeting to Gaara, and then sets down a couple of sealed packets and a pair of latex gloves on the table.

"Place your arm here." Gaara removes his arm from Neji's shoulders and does as she asked. The nurse pulls one of the gloves on her left hand, then ties the other one tightly around his upper arm. . Neji watches in veiled fascination as she cleanly breaches Gaara's skin with the needle, drawing up the blood from beneath it. Gaara drums his fingers impatiently on the tabletop. The blood fills the vial slowly, dark red and splashing against the sides of the container. Shukaku is silent in Gaara's mind, but Gaara can feel him twitching; the monster has always had an affinity for blood, and his own was not exempt to Shukaku's lust.

Neji looks away after a while, feeling a bit sick. The closest thing he had ever experienced to this was getting vaccinated at the doctor, and those were just tiny shots that were over within seconds. He looks back up when she removes the needle and deposits the blood into an airtight container. "Thank you for you--" She starts to say, but is cut off by the redhead.

"Take another pint."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

The nurse gives a barely-there shrug, then rips open another needle and repeats the process. Neji is smart enough to know that they weren't supposed to take more than one pint. But he supposed it wouldn't be a big deal if it were to help save more lives. Besides, Gaara is a big guy, he is sure he could handle it.

He watches as the nurse pulled the needle out of his arm, disposed of it, then placed a cotton ball on his arm and wrapped it up with gauze. As she leaves to go store the blood, Neji places his hand on top of Gaara's. She returns minutes later, handing Gaara a couple of bills. "Thank you for your contribution."

Gaara takes the money and gets up. They exit the clinic together, and once outside Gaara counts the money he has received from the nurse.

Neji is surprised when the redhead hands him a twenty-dollar bill. "Here."

"What's this for?"

"Go get yourself something to eat. Keep what ever's left over." Gaara pockets the rest of the money, not looking at Neji.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Where are you going to be?"

"Around. See that park across the street? I'll meet you there at sundown."

"But--" Neji is scared. He didn't want to go off in the town on his own! This was a strange, foreign place. What if he got attacked or something? And sundown is hours away!

Gaara sighs. "_What_, Neji?" _Here we go again. _What more did the kid want from him?

"N-nothing." _Stop whining. You'll be fine. _

Gaara looks satisfied. "Good. There's a library a couple of blocks away. You could probably entertain yourself there for a while."

"Okay." Neji offers a weak smile.

* * *

_**Friday, August 21**_

**three months ago**

**4:32PM  
**

_"What did you want to tell me, Neji?" Tenten was lying across Neji's king-sized canopy bed, was looking expectantly at her best friend. Neji was sitting cross-legged in an armchair across from her, blushing slightly and fidgeting with his shirt.  
_

_It is late afternoon, and the two friends had been hanging out around Neji's house for about an hour now. They had previously been in the garden, sharing the hammock. Neji had been preparing himself to share some very interesting news with his best friend, but just as he was about to tell her, Hanabi had showed up and demanded their attention. The two had managed to escape to the long-haired male's bedroom, but it was uncertain how long they'd be there before they were interrupted again. _

_The brunet boy took a deep breath. "I, um... I had sex with Gaara."_

_"You WHAT!?" Tenten rolled over and sat up immediately, excitement and surprise written all over her face. "OH MY GOD Neji! I'm so proud of you!"_

_Neji grinned, not expecting such a reaction from her. "Um... thanks."_

_"How was it?" The brunette girl asks eagerly._

_"It was... nice."_

_Tenten threw a pillow at him. "Just 'nice'?"_

_Neji dodged the pillow, blushing a bright red. "...It was fantastic."_

_Tenten squealed again, clapping her hands and motioning for Neji to come sit with her on the bed. "You have GOT to tell me everything! When did it happen? Where?"_

_Neji got up from the armchair, then took a deep breath as he settled down next to his friend on the comforter. "It happened yesterday. Daddy was supposed to pick me up from the library, but he had to stay late at work ... so I called Gaara and asked him to pick me up."_

_Tenten nodded, hands propping her chin up as she listened intently to the story._

_"But while I was waiting for him, these guys from school saw me and started... saying things to me and stuff. But then Gaara showed up and he scared them off, and I was so grateful that when... when he took me home I asked him if he wanted to come in..."_

_"You didn't!" Tenten giggled, covering her mouth with her hands. "What happened next?"_

_"Um... well, Hanabi was asleep and her room is next to mine, so..."_

_"What? So where did you end up doing it?"_

_"In... In the pool."_

_"Neji!" Tenten exclaimed. "That's so... kinky! I can't ever swim in there again."_

_"Tenten!" Neji shoved her with a laugh._

_"Okay, congratulations. But seriously, I hope you're not gonna give it up to him all the time, right?" Tenten said bluntly._

_"Huh?" Neji asked, looking at his friend confusedly. "What do you mean?"_

_"I mean, you don't want him thinking you're easy or something."_

_"Oh... Um. But Gaara's not like that..."_

_"Come on, Neji." Tenten said, rolling her eyes at her friend's naivety. "You've only been seeing him for like what, two months?"_

_"So..?"_

_"So remember when Ino was dating that Zaku kid, and he broke up with her after like, three weeks? It was because she had sex with him."_

_Neji gaped at her. "Ino's not a virgin!? No way, I thought she was saving herself for Sasuke!"_

_"You didn't know?" Tenten threw a pillow at him. "It's practically common knowledge. And speaking of common knowledge... who else did you tell?"_

_"Just you. I'm pretty sure Hinata knows, though... we weren't exactly being discreet." Neji blushes again, an embarrassed smile spreading across his lips. _

"_Aw… Neji's all grown up now." Tenten teased with a wistful sigh. "I can't believe Gaara Sabaku is your boyfriend."_

_"Yeah. Me neither, sometimes." Neji responded honestly._

_"You know, Kiba said his older sister Hana slept with him once, but I'm not sure that's true. You know how he is."_

"_Mmm." Neji frowned slightly. He didn't really like talking about Gaara with other people. "Well, Kiba--"_

_A knock at the door cut Neji off. "Neeeeejiiiiiii!" His youngest sister whined outside his door. "Come out and play with me! Daddy said you have to!"_

_Neji sighed and rolled off the bed. "Come on, Tenten."_

_"I want to go swimming! You have to watch me in the pool!"_

_Neji turned red and coughed. "Um..."_

_Tenten laughed and took him by the hand, leading him out of his room._

* * *

**8:20PM**

- o -

Gaara really, really should have thought things out before he left Konoha.

Here he was, in a faraway state with no home, no money, and no job. There was no way he could donate blood every day-- he'd be dead before the end of the week. He'd have to get a job, but that would mean he and Neji would have find a permanent place to stay. For one thing they aren't far enough away from Konoha for Gaara to feel safe, and secondly, they didn't have any money to purchase a house or an apartment. The thought of buying a place to live

But, of course, there was no turning back.

_I'll drive as far away as we can. When we get to a place that's safe enough, we'll settle down. Until then, I'll just have to find away for us to get by on a daily basis. _

'**Us'?**

_Yeah._

He had just spent nearly a whole day away from Neji and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. The first thing he had done as soon as he left the kid was drive off to a remote area to take a nap in his car, feeling a bit weak from giving so much blood. He had woken up around 4:00, and then got into a very heated conversation with Shukaku for an hour regarding how they were going to get money from now on. Afterwards, he drove to a diner and purchased dinner for himself. Another argument ensued, and after reflecting on it, Gaara decided to do the only thing that seemed logical: get wasted.

So he ended up at a bar.

**The kid was pretty easy to deal with today. Guess you scared him enough to make him stop acting like such a brat.**

_Give it a few days. He'll probably go back to the way he was before._

The redhead is sitting on a bar stool, watching the condensation slide down the side of the mug as he thinks. This would be so much easier if he were on his own. He wouldn't have to pay for Neji's meals or deal with his whining. He'd miss the companionship, sure, but he was never really alone because of Shukaku. And their sex life was non-existent, so he wouldn't be missing any of that.

Gaara lets out a frustrated sigh. _Oh well._ What's done is done, and he couldn't very well just leave Neji.

Well… technically he could. It wouldn't be the worst thing he's ever done. But he did still have a soft spot for the boy, despite how annoying he could be. Not to mention the fact that the kid would be torn apart within seconds if Gaara left him in a strange city such as this. And if that happened, surely the police would connect him to Gaara. It would only make things worse for him.

He thinks back a couple of nights ago to when they first left Konoha. He remembers watching the boy sleep, cheek pressed against the glass window and snoring softly. He likes Neji best during times like those, when he isn't all whiny and needy. Moments like that made keeping the boy around worth it.

He is jolted out of his thoughts by someone tapping him on the shoulder. He turns. Standing in front of him is a middle-aged man, wearing an ordinary white work short and holding a beer in his left hand.

"Hey, we need one more for bridge." The man gestures to a smoky, dimly lit table nestled in the back of the bar. You in?"

Gaara shrugs, downing the rest of his beer. "Sure."

* * *

**8:25PM  
**

- o -

Neji closes his second novel, a satisfied smile on his face. It hadn't been as good as the first, but the fact that he had gotten through two books of decent length in one afternoon makes him happy, especially since he couldn't go to school anymore. His face falls slightly. He was going to miss attending Hashirama Senju Preparatory School with Lee and Tenten. Sure, the students were snobby and pretentious, and Neji had to work extremely hard to maintain his A+ average, but it was still a part of him.

The library is a pleasant place, and Neji is glad that Gaara had pointed it out to him. It is quiet and had a calm, cozy atmosphere, with high ceilings and large windows. It is slightly bigger than the Hyuuga Mansion library at home, but that is understandable because it was for the public, after all.

It had only taken the boy a couple of minutes to pick out a stack of novels he wanted to read. There are wooden tables and some comfortable chairs situated around, but Neji had wanted to find a place to read that was more secluded. He had finally found a remote corner of the library, and seated himself comfortably into an old, well-used armchair. The sunlight doesn't quite reach the area, and the air is musty and warm. It reminds him of the library at home.

Neji sighs, setting his second book down.

He reaches for the third book in his pile, which happens to be a trashy romance novel that had caught his eye on the way to his location. Hinata was obsessed with them, but Neji frankly didn't see the appeal. He had only picked it up because he needed a laugh. He flips to a random page and starts reading.

**_"Oh, my love!" The pretty blonde princess swooned, falling into her lover's arms. "You've saved me!"_**

**_"Darling," The handsome prince said, wrapping her up in his embrace. "I would never leave you. We'll be together forever!"_**

**_"Sweetheart, I cannot wait any longer. I wish for you to passionately make love to me." The princess moans in ecstasy. _**

**_The handsome prince lowered her to the ground, gently tugging at the confines of her dress--_**

_"_Excuse me?"

Neji yelps, jumping up and hiding his face behind the book. He peeks out from behind it carefully.

The librarian is leaning down in front of him. "I'm sorry, but the library is closing in five minutes. She pauses, gesturing to the pink magazine clutched in his hands. "Would you like to check that out?

Neji blushes harder. "N-no! Um, thank you. I'll just... leave..." He drops the book on the table and leaves as fast as he can.

Once outside he realizes that it is already dark out. _The sun probably went down a couple of hours ago, _Neji realizes with a start. _Gaara must be waiting for me!_ He takes off down the block, heading in the direction of the park where Gaara had said he would meet him.

* * *

**9:45PM  
**

- o -

One of the men at the table whistles as Gaara and his partner collect the money from the table. "Damn, if I'd known you were this good at bridge, I wouldn't have asked you to play."

Gaara shrugs. He hadn't known he was that good either, but all games seemed easy when he had Shukaku in his mind, telling him what to do. He had made about two hundred dollars; enough to stay in a motel for another night but not enough to put his mind at ease.

"You got a girlfriend?" One of the men asks, lighting up a cigar.

"No." Gaara says, folding up the money and putting it in his pocket. It wasn't a lie.

"Good. Cause there's a woman at the bar who's been checking you out for about twenty minutes now."

Gaara chances a look to his left. There is indeed a woman at the bar, sitting alone and swirling the contents of her drink. Her hair is long and blond, and she is clad in a tight red cocktail dress. Dark blue eyes meet his, and red painted lips twitch into a sultry smile.

Shukaku whistles. **Damn.**

One of the men at the table starts shuffling the cards. "You guys want to play one more round?"

Gaara shakes his head. "No thanks. I have something... else to do." If the redhead had been anything less than a little buzzed, he would have stopped and asked himself what he was doing.

"Quitting while you're ahead, huh?" One of the men says with a grin. Gaara's game partner laughs and nudges him as Gaara stands up and leaves the table. "Shut up, he's gonna go get some pussy."

The woman sets down her drink as the redhead approaches.

**Are you sure this is a good idea?** Shukaku says in a way the makes Gaara believe that Shukaku thinks it's a great idea.

_No. _

* * *

**9:58PM  
**

- o -

Gaara soon finds himself pressed up against a wall in the women's bathroom, with his tongue in the blonde's mouth and her body rubbing up against him. The woman shifts, allowing Gaara's thigh to slide between her legs. She moans in his ear, arching up against him. Approaching the woman had been easy, and suggesting an encounter in the bathroom had been even easier.

The bathroom door is locked from the inside, and Gaara isn't too concerned about what would happen if any of the other female bar patrons had to use the bathroom. The woman is eager, her soft hands flying immediately to Gaara's jeans, undoing the fly and pulling down the zipper in less than a second. He grips her chin and draws her closer, and her lips part eagerly to accept his tongue once more while he works on pulling her dress down from her shoulders.

It takes him back to the days when he had just been let out of jail, when all he did was go to bars and pick up women. He can remember clearly the girl he had sex with on his first night as a free man, a wild brunette woman with red tattoos on her face. After a couple of months he didn't do it as frequently, perhaps only once or twice a week. And some time after that, he cut down to even less time than that. That was after he met Neji...

…_FUCK._

Gaara pulls himself away from the woman with an angry growl. He had completely forgotten about the boy. Shit, he was supposed to meet Neji _hours_ ago. The sun had already been going down when he had first entered the bar, it had to have been hours later by now.

**What are you **_**doing?**_** Come on, just forget about the kid for and hour or two.**

"What's wrong?" She pouts, lipstick smeared. She makes an attempt to touch him again, but he holds her at bay with one hand, using the other to hastily stuff himself back in his boxers.

"Shit-- Listen, I have to go." He mutters, zipping up his jeans.

"What? Why?"

"There's something I need to do."

**You have got to be kidding me.**

"But--" She looks at him in confusion, the straps of her dress pulled down around her shoulders. She isn't wearing a bra. The image is too tempting, and Gaara knows he has to get out of there _now_ before he does something stupid.

**Don't fucking do it. Don't--**

"Sorry." He says to the woman, to Shukaku, to Neji, and to himself. He is out of the bathroom in less than a second, leaving the blond to stare at the door in bewilderment without even so much as a good-bye.

* * *

**10:09PM  
**

- o -

**You're a fucking idiot. **

_God, would you shut up already?_

**Fuck no. You haven't gotten laid in three weeks, and now when the chance comes up, you turn her down for that crybaby bitch.**

Gaara is not in a good mood after being verbally berated by Shukaku for the past ten minutes. Shit, he _knew_ that he could be back there right now, screwing the blonde's brains out. But what if in the meantime, Neji had gotten robbed or jumped or raped? He doesn't want something like that to be on his concious. It was strange, how he could do something as awful as kill his mother and still have a sense of morality.

**So? You're so fucking stupid. Shit, she was hot. Way hotter than the Hyuuga.**

Gaara realizes a bit guiltily that he couldn't argue with Shukaku about that matter. Neji Hyuuga was beautiful, stunning, gorgeous, all of those things, but his innocent demeanor and shy upbringing made him almost the opposite of 'hot'. He had the looks but was mostly oblivious to them.

_You wanted me to bring Neji along, remember? And now you want me to leave him defenseless in a strange park at night._

**How else is he supposed to learn how to fend for himself?**

_I don't know. It doesn't matter._

Shukaku ignores him, still obviously pissed off. **This wouldn't be an issue if your little bitch let you fuck him.**

Gaara growls, fingers tightening on the steering wheel. The redhead has no idea where Shukaku goes when he wasn't in his brain, but now is one of those times when he wished the entity was gone. He feels like a kid being scolding by his mother for leaving a mess in his room or something, although this is an entirely different situation.

_Fuck off, Shukaku. Goddamn._

Temporarily ending the mental conversation, Gaara adjusts the rear view mirror and finds that he has some of the woman's lipstick on his mouth. Cursing, he scrubs at it with the back of his hand until it is gone.

Five minutes later, he finds Neji shivering on a park bench, arms wrapped around his body in an attempt to stay warm. He looks to be on the verge of tears, but as Gaara draws closer, he sees that the boy's eyes aren't wet at all. He pulls up to the curb and honks the horn.

Neji has been sitting on the bench for nearly an hour. He had been slightly relived when he showed up at the designated meeting area and saw that Gaara wasn't there, because he wouldn't have wanted to have displeased his boyfriend by making him wait. However, after the older male had failed to show up, he grew increasingly more concerned. For the past forty-five minutes, he had been sitting on the bench, unintentionally convincing himself that Gaara had actually left him for good this time.

"Gaara!" Neji cries as soon as he gets to the car. "I was so worried! I thought something had happened to you!" _I thought you had left me._

Gaara shrugs. "I lost track of time." He nearly feels something akin to guilt when he looks at the shivering boy, It was amazing how Gaara could fuck up by being over three hours late to pick him up, because he had gotten a little drunk and hooked up with a woman in a bathroom, and the boy was worried about _him._

Neji taps his fingers on the glass, snapping Gaara's attention back to him. "Where are we... I mean, do we have a place to sleep tonight?"

"You can sleep in the back."

"What about you?" Neji asks uncertainly.

"I'll be fine."

"…Okay." Neji opens the door to the back of the car and gets in. The redhead sighs and starts driving. Moments later, Shukaku starts up again.

**This is fucking ridiculous. You haven't gotten laid in weeks. The kid should be putting out every night for you. And since he isn't, you should be **_**taking**_** it from him.**

_I'm not a rapist, Shukaku_.

**It isn't rape. He's yours. You need to **_**make**_** him yours.**

_I can't. He doesn't want it._ Gaara shuts his eyes momentarily. As much as he hated to admit it, Shukaku was starting to convince him. Neji _was_ his. The boy chose to be with him.

**If he didn't want it, then he would still be back in Konoha. **

_But…_

**He should have known the terms when you let him in the car that night. **

_It's not like there's a contract or anything--_

**Is this what you plan on doing for the rest of your life? You're gonna keep him around to look at him, but not to touch?**

Gaara opens his eyes. He can hear Neji's slow, steady breathing in the back of the car.

_I—_

**TAKE HIM! **The enitity snaps, tired of his host's inhibitions.

_Fine! _Gaara slams on the breaks, pulling the car over to the side of the road. Luckily, they had stopped on a deserted side street, with only trees and the dark night sky on either side of them. Neji, who had been dozing off, stirs and opens his eyes in confusion. "Gaara?"

His confusion turns to fear as Gaara turns off the car, then opens the door and gets out without saying a word. _This is it,_ Neji thinks frightfully. _This is it! He's going to abandon me here all alone!_

But no, Gaara walks over to the door opposite the one Neji is leaning against and pulls it open. He gets back in the car, kneeling at the edge of the back seat and ducking his head so it doesn't hit the ceiling. Neji tilts his head to the side, feeling a bit relieved but still confused. Why did they stop? What was Gaara doing?

The night air had cleared Gaara's mind. He takes a deep breath before shutting the door to the car behind him.

Neji belonged to Gaara. It was time he showed that to the boy.

Neji's ivory eyes follow Gaara as the redhead crawls up the length of his body. The backseat of Gaara's car is big enough for Neji to stretch out with his toes touching one door and the other door inches away from the top of his head. Gaara is substantially bigger than him, and doesn't have the luxury of being able to stretch out; instead, he straddles the younger male, knees on either side of the boy's thighs. He places his arms on either side of Neji's head, looming over the boy. Neji stares up at him.

"Um…?"

"Baby," The redhead purrs, lifting a hand to stroke the side of the boy's face. "I missed you."

Neji blushes, his heart swelling. "I missed you t--" He is cut off by Gaara's lips sealing over his in a hungry kiss. Gaara is gently but demanding, managing to get Neji's lips parted within seconds so he can explore the boy's mouth thoroughly.

The brunet is breathless when the redhead pulls away from his mouth. Gaara immediately attacks his neck with tiny kisses and soft bites. A hazy warmth is starting to spread throughout his body, and Neji gasps, eyelids fluttering. "Uh... Guh-- Gaara?"

The redhead ignores him and continues his assault on Neji's flesh, making the boy unconsciously push up against his body. "W-wait, Gaara, maybe we should stop—"

"Neji," Gaara groans into the brunet's ear, sliding his hands down the lithe body beneath him. "I need this."

He pushes Neji's thin t-shirt high up on his chest, and the boy's eyelids flutter as Gaara leans down and drags his tongue over his left nipple. "Mmmm..."

_So far, so good._ The older male thinks, continuing his ministrations. Hopefully he could keep Neji occupied with the pleasure long enough for him to claim the boy.

Although his mind is hazy with sensation, there is still a part of Neji that wants to stop Gaara from going any further with him, like before. _You're not ready!_ It screamed. _He's going to leave you. Tenten is right. Your father is right. You're just a conquest to him!_

_You're wrong,_ he argues back in the depths of his mind. _If Gaara hasn't left me already, then he isn't going to. And I am ready. I've… I've done it before._

_Did you forget about the way he treated you yesterday? He's going to grow tired of you, then throw you away._

_He won't. _Neji responds confidently, at the edge of losing himself to extasy. _I'm going to make him fall in love with me. _

He takes a deep breath. _And if this is what Gaara needs from me, then I'll give it to him._

_Besides,_ he thinks to himself with a moan as Gaara gently tugs at his nipple with his teeth._ It's not like I'm not going to enjoy it either..._

Gaara looks up at the boy's face, smirking when he sees Neji's eyes closed in bliss. While he doesn't want to go to fast, so as not to make the boy uncomfortable, he is still worked up from earlier and can't control himself much longer. He caresses Neji's skin, calloused fingers traveling down to the waistband of his jeans. Gaara smirks when Neji offers no resistance, unlike Gaara's previous attempt to get into his pants, literally and figuratively.

Gaara undos Neji's jeans, sliding his hand inside the brunet's boxers and curling his fingers around his cock, slowly sliding his hand up and down the boy's length while he sucks on his neck. Neji moans, arching his back. "Ohhh... Gaara, _yes..."_

The redhead realizes for the first time that he loves the way Neji says his name, especially when the younger male's sweet voice is thick with passion. He doesn't want to waste any more time with foreplay; that could be saved for another time, hopefully many times in the future, when they weren't in the cramped back seat of his car. He pulls down the boy's boxers and jeans. Neji arches up to help him, and soon he is only in his t-shirt, the rest of his clothes on the floor of the car. Gaara leans down and presses a kiss to the inside of Neji's knee, then his thigh, then skips up to just under his belly button. Neji whines in disappointment. "Gaara... please..."

"Yeah, baby?"

"...Touch me..."

Gaara smirks.

He reaches into the side compartment of the door behind him and pulls out a packet of lubricant, stored there specifically for situations like this. He sits back on his heels and arranges the boy's legs so that they are on either side of him, then shifts forward once more. Neji is staring at him, face flushed and breath coming in pants. His eyes flicker to Gaara's hands, where he is tearing the lubricant open and squeezing a generous amount onto his fingers. Gaara can see his eyes widen a fraction as the realization of what they are about to do shoots through the boy.

But Neji doesn't make any move to push Gaara away. He is trembling, but his tongue darts out to slide across his lower lip.

_He wants it._

Gaara presses down once more, making himself as comfortable as possible. His left hand goes to stroke the boy's erection again, while his lubed fingers journey further and press gently against Neji's entrance. The brunet's breath hitches, but Gaara doesn't give him any other opportunity to react. He pushes his index finger in, sliding up the boy's body and licking up the line of his pelvis, ending in a gentle bite to distract him. Neji cries out and tenses, then slowly relaxes his muscles.

"What are you afraid of?" Gaara murmurs, lowering his mouth and briefly sucking a love bite directly below Neji's naval.

Neji bites his lip as the redhead gently works his finger in and out of his entrance. "I ...mmm... I don't know..."

"Is it me?"

"No... _AAH._.." Gaara inserts another finger, making the boy arch up. The redhead decides to drop the subject, instead focusing his attention on more pressing issues. Impatient, Gaara slides in a third finger, and Neji's breath catches. He sets up a gentle rhythm, brushing by Neji's prostate ever so often, teasing him.

"There. Feels good, baby?"

"Mm-hmm..." Neji responds breathlessly, subtly rolling his hips in time to the thrusts of Gaara's fingers.

Gaara can stare at this sight forever. The normally composed Hyuuga boy, usually so innocent, on his back, moaning and mewling as Gaara's fingers moved in and out of his body. _Look at him now. And he was so scared before._ The desire to have the boy is overwhelming. Gaara pulls his fingers out, then unfastens his own jeans.

"Hnnn... Gaara, don't stop..." The boy whines, idly caressing his own body and seemingly not realizing it. From his position, Neji cannot see what the redhead is doing, but he flushes when he hears the sounds of a zipper being drawn down.

"Shh." The redhead nips at the boy's earlobe. "It's gonna get even better."

He coats his own erection with the remaining lubrication left on his fingers. Gaara shifts slightly, then pulls the boy's smooth legs up and around his waist. He watches as Neji tenses, perfect white teeth piercing his lower lip as Gaara pushes forward and penetrates him slowly.

"Ooooh.... oh, God..."

Gaara stops when he is fully seated inside the boy. He studies Neji's face, making sure he isn't in any pain. He knows the boy would never let him do this again if it hurt him. Neji is taking deep breaths, his hands shaking as he clutches Gaara's shirt.

Gaara gently leans downward, kissing Neji on the mouth, then on the cheek, then just below his ear. "Relax." he whispers.

Neji nods, unable to describe what he was feeling. He feels so... so _full. _Gaara fits so perfectly inside him, and any pain or discomfort he had felt before is slowly ebbing away. He takes Gaara's hand in his, interlacing their fingers.

Gaara's eyes meet his. The redhead presses another kiss to his mouth, dipping his tongue in briefly. His free hand strokes Neji's stomach. The redhead pulls back, eyes half-lidded as he tips his head to the side. _Ready?_

Neji exhales slowly, then gently moves his hips in a way that makes Gaara's fingers clench tightly around Neji's hand. _Yes. Do it._

Gaara pulls out, then slowly pushes back in, leaning down and swiping his tongue across Neji's lips. Neji untangles their fingers and wraps his arms around Gaara's neck, parting his lips and allowing Gaara to gain entrance to his mouth. They kiss while the redhead establishes a rhythm, pushing in and drawing out with long but forceful strokes. Neji shuts his eyes, giving in to the passion.

Gaara's hips change their angle and Neji arches his back, moaning as Gaara hits the spot inside him that makes him gasp. "Ah... aaAHH, Gaara...!" The older man smirks against the boy's neck. Neji holds on tighter as Gaara's thrusts speed up. Oooh, Gaara made him feel so _good…_

Neji's fingers tighten in the back of Gaara's t-shirt as his orgasm approaches. Gaara is panting in his ear, whispering about how good he feels around him, how beautiful he is. The older man trails a hand down Neji's chest, over his stomach, down to his erection and wraps his hand around it. Neji whimpers, lips parting as the redhead strokes him. Gaara slides his other hand up the back of Neji's thigh, gripping his ass and pulling his lower body further onto his lap.

"Nnn... oh, oh, _oooooh..."_

Neji arches up, white eyes locking on to aqua ones before closing tightly as his orgasm hits him, mouth open in a cry. He shudders beneath the older male's form. His muscles clench around Gaara, forcing the older man to grit his teeth and thrust shallowly into the boy's body a few more times before he comes as well. "_Fuck..."_

Neji is breathing heavily, his grip on Gaara slowly lessening as he comes down from his orgasm. The redhead pulls out carefully. Neji unwinds his arms from Gaara's neck, trailing his fingers down the older male's arms. He lets out a small gurgle of pleasure as Gaara gently pulls out of him.

Neji gazes up at Gaara with an expression of utmost reverence on his face. His lips are swollen and shiny, and his cheeks are flushed. Moonlight shines in through the car windows, illuminating the boy's eyes of the same color. It reminds Gaara of the first time they had sex-- it had been a full moon then, too, and he remembers the way Neji looked in the water, how his wet skin glistened in the light of the moon. _Fuck, he's beautiful._

"I love you." Neji whispers.

Gaara blinks. Then looks away.

The redhead's mind is quiet for the first time in weeks, but he knows that if Shukaku were present he would be laughing his ass off. Neji's blissful expression fades, and he starts to blink rapidly.

_Shitshitshitshit... come on, don't start crying again._

Neji looks as if he is going to say something else, but Gaara leans down once more and kisses him deeply. Neji concedes, closing his eyes to prevent them from tearing. He pushes up into the redhead, attempting to distract himself from the ache that is welling up in his heart. They part, and Neji closes his eyes briefly. Gaara kisses him on the forehead, then pushes his hair back away from his face. Neji opens his eyes once more and smiles hesitantly at the older male.

Gaara sighs. "Look, I—"

"It's okay. I… I get it." Ivory eyes meet green and the redhead sighs, gently pressing his forehead against Neji's.

They share another gentle kiss, and an understanding is formed.

Gaara pulls back, supporting himself with one arm with he runs his hand through his hair with the other. As he does so, the moonlight falls on a portion of Gaara's arm, and the tattoo that Neji was unable to read two days ago is illuminated.

_**i love only myself, and fight only for myself**_

It is strange how Neji has never noticed it before.


	5. anywhere but here

i don't own naruto.

i'm sooo sorry for the amount time you guys had to wait for this chapter! i don't know when the next one will be out, but i will be posting a flashback chapter to when Gaara and Neji first met sometime in November. see you guys then! and thank you guys so much for the reviews!

also, if you like ShikaNeji, feel free to check out my other story, Repellent. :)

warnings: prostitution, implied incest.

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

**_Tuesday, November 10th to Friday, December 4th_**

- o -

Slowly but surely, Neji adjusted to his new life with Gaara.

Sex has become a regular thing for the two of them. The night following their rendezvous in the car, Gaara had taken him on a bed for the first time. The money Gaara had won from his poker game was enough to get them into a motel for the night, and they had used that night to the fullest. Neji had barely gotten any sleep during their stay, so he had slept mostly the entire time in the car the next morning. It was also on the bed of a motel room, a few days later with the curtains drawn closed, when Gaara went down on him for the first time. Neji had one hand fisted in the gaudy green bed sheets and another over his mouth, stifling his moans. Neji had quickly taken a liking to sex; now that he was convinced that Gaara wasn't going to leave him, there was no need to ignore his basic urges.

The only time they were apart was at night. They would check into a motel, and then Gaara would go to a bar and play card games for hours. He always won. Neji never asked him how; statistically, Gaara had to lose sometimes, right? But he never did. That was why he never went to the same bar twice.

Neji would stay in the motel room, reading books or magazines or watching TV. He would keep himself occupied until Gaara came back, stumbling into the room at some ungodly hour. Neji would be so happy to see him, regardless of how drunk he was. They would make love until morning, sleep for a couple of hours until it was time for them to check out, and repeat the cycle all over again.

Somewhere along the way, Gaara had managed to scrape together enough money to buy Neji a couple of new articles of clothing. They were nowhere near the quality of the clothes in Neji's old wardrobe, but he was tired of wearing the same thing everyday and doing laundry every night. He realizes one day that he is poor, but happy. There are things he wants but can't have, but eventually, he realizes that he doesn't really need those things. The fact that Gaara was making an effort to provide for him made him feel fuzzy inside.

Neji sometimes thought about his life back in Konoha. It hurt, not being able to see his little sisters and his father, but he managed to suppress his sadness long enough to forget about it. He convinced himself over and over that his life was better this way; there were no rules, responsibilities, and Gaara was with him (mostly) all of the time. Sure, the motel hopping was kind of annoying, and Neji found himself pretty bored at some occasions, but he knew it would all be worth it when they finally settled down.

* * *

_**Saturday, December 5**_

**2:48PM**

- o -

Sasuke stands in front of the large oak doors that stood between him and his father. He raises a fist and knocks softly. He half-hopes that his father won't hear him, so he can turn right back around. However, he has no such luck.

"Enter." Fugaku growls from inside his study.

Sasuke takes a deep breath, exhales, and then pushes open the doors. He enters the study almost nervously, hearing the doors creak closed behind him. His footsteps are soft as he approaches the desk. He really doesn't understand why his father's study had to be so large; the distance from the doors to the desk is at least 6 yards, and there are towering bookshelves all around him. Behind his father's desk, there is a large picture widow that has a beautiful view of the river behind the Uchiha Mansion.

"Sasuke." Fugaku says when Sasuke reaches the desk, sparing his son a glance before looking back down at his paperwork. "Is there something you want?"

"Yes. Father," Sasuke begins, wringing his hands behind his back, where his father can't see. "I wanted to talk to you. About Neji Hyuuga."

"Hiashi's son? It is a shame he's still missing." Fugaku says, looking supremely uninterested.

_No turning back. _"Why… Why aren't you looking for him?"

"Why am I not looking for him?" Fugaku reiterates, removing his reading glasses. "Sasuke, as Chief of Police, I have far more important things--"

"You know what I mean!" Sasuke interrupts, almost shocking himself at his own audacity. _Shit. You need to calm down, Sasuke. _

Fugaku raises an eyebrow, amused at his son's outburst. "No, I do not. Would you care to explain yourself?"

Sasuke steadies himself, folding his hands together behind his back. "I-I know you haven't sent any of your officers to look for him. It's been nearly a month, and there still hasn't been any effort to find him."

"I see. And why do you care?" Fugaku asks, leaning forward and studying his son.

"Neji was my friend." Sasuke says quietly.

"But not anymore." The elder Uchiha comments.

"You can't just not--" Sasuke stops himself from completing what would have surely been another outburst. It wouldn't do to shout at his father again. Itachi had once told him, _'Control of your emotions means control of the situation.'_

He takes another deep breath. "Father, people rely on you for their protection. Neji could have been kidnapped. He could be being _tortured_ as we speak. Are you really going to sit back and do _nothing_?"

"None of those things are my problem." Fugaku yawns. "Was there anything else you wanted?"

"But you can't just--"

"I can do anything I want, Sasuke." Fugaku's eyes gleam with something Sasuke can't identify. "Now, are you done with your little rescue attempt?"

Sasuke knows when he has lost. "Yes." He grits out, turning around to leave. He should have known that this wasn't going to work. _ Did you really expect your father to grown a heart all of a sudden?_ He scolds himself. But he had to at least _try_. Neji has been gone for a month. Hinata is becoming more and more depressed with every passing day. This is the first time anything like this had happened in their town, and the fact that Sasuke used to be close with Neji makes it worse. Although they haven't been close since they were children, Neji had been one of the few people to not reject Sasuke when he returned to Konoha four months ago.

Sasuke takes three steps towards the door before his father's voice cuts through the air.

"Wait."

Sasuke stops where he is, not bothering to turn back around even though he knew his father would consider that disrespectful. "Yes?"

"How old are you, Sasuke?"

"Fifteen." The younger Uchiha responds, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Fifteen." Fugaku repeats, his voice a low murmur. "So. You want me to resume the search for Hyuuga's son?"

"I… Yes."

His father pushes his chair away from the desk and rises. Sasuke can hear him walking across the thick Persian carpet, taking his time. He sees his father's shadow moving forward on the ground in front of him, and soon enough feels the heat of the older male against his back. _Damn._

"And what," Fugaku asks quietly, leaning in to speak into his son's ear. A large hand settles at the small of Sasuke's back. "Will you give me in return?"

Sasuke expected this.

He had known this was coming, ever since his Uncle Orochimaru died. Ever since he had watched his brother being dragged away by his father's own forces, screaming to Sasuke about how sorry he was. Ever since that one night, so very long ago, when he had seen his father and Itachi together in an embrace that was far from platonic. Sasuke is fifteen years old, and the same age his brother was on the night Itachi tried to kill their father. Sasuke knows of the types of abuse his father is capable of. He has prepared himself mentally for this possibility.

But that doesn't mean he knows what he should do.

Sasuke raises his head. "Father--" He starts, his hands clenched into fists.

There is a knock at the door.

Fugaku straightens up, removing his hand from his son's body.

"Enter." His voice takes on the same bored tone that he had used when Sasuke first came in. One of the maids pushes open the door.

"Pardon me for interrupting." The maid bows respectfully. "But there is a Naruto Uzumaki at the front door, waiting to see young Master Uchiha."

Sasuke's eyes widen. _Naruto? Here?_

Fugaku looks at his son, one eyebrow raised. Even Sasuke's father knows that he hasn't had any friends come visit him since he returned from his stay with his uncle.

"You are dismissed." Fugaku waves his son off as if he is a particularly annoying fly. Sasuke leaves immediately, not quite running, but close enough. In his excitement, he has already nearly forgotten about his mission to get his father to send officers out to look for his missing friend. Already nearly forgotten about his father standing behind him. _Provoking_ him, as he had done with Itachi.

_Naruto? No, he can't be here. Why would he?_

When Sasuke had returned to Konoha earlier that year, he had expected Naruto to be ecstatic to see him. Instead, it was quite the opposite. The blond boy had shunned him, told him point blank that he hated him. The incident at the lunch table last month had been the last time they had spoken, even though they had several classes together. It had really hurt Sasuke; Naruto had been his best friend, after all, and the person he was most looking forward to seeing when he returned. It wasn't his fault that he didn't tell Naruto what was going on; everything had happened so fast. One minute he was watching Itachi being dragged away by the Konoha Police Force, and the next, his mother was throwing his clothes into a suitcase, telling him that he'd be staying with an Uncle he'd never even heard of for a while.

He remembers sitting in Orochimaru's living just two days later, miles away from his home, watching his father give a press conference on television. _"My son is sick."_ He had announced to the press. _" He has been sent to a hospital where, hopefully, he can be cured. My youngest son, Sasuke, is now living with his uncle until we can determine that he doesn't have the same illness as his brother. I await the day when I can be reunited with both of my children."_ The reporters immediately starting yelling out questions, snapping pictures of the bandages around Fugaku's neck.

"Hospital?" Orochimaru had scoffed. "More like a prison. I've seen the place they took him to."

Sasuke had remained silent. It was only now finally starting to sink in; that he most likely would never see his older brother again.

"It's such a shame, too." Orochimaru had sighed. "Itachi was quite… perfect."

Sasuke shakes his head, clearing his thoughts. _There's no point in thinking about that now. _

He goes down two stories before he comes to the large, ornately decorated staircase that leads to the foyer. He leans over the balcony, and there, he see that the maid was not mistaken. Naruto is standing in the foyer, wearing a black hoodie with an obnoxiously bright orange scarf around his neck. Snowflakes are melting in his hair, and his nose and ears are bright red from the cold. He stands in the foyer, dripping melting snowflakes on a priceless oriental rug, both hands in the pocket of his hoodie as he hums to himself.

Sasuke has honestly never been so happy to see Naruto in his life. He very nearly smiles, his heart beating slightly faster than usual. Instead, he shakes his head, and schools his features into a scowl, clearing his throat loudly.

The blond looks up and spots the other boy at the top over the stairs. "Uh... hey, Sasuke!" He waves, but looks hesitant. "Are you busy?"

Sasuke blinks. "No..."

"Great!" In a flash, Naruto is at the top of the staircase next to Sasuke. "You wanna hang out?"

_What the fuck?_

Remembering himself, Sasuke glares. "No." He snaps, and turns to go to his room. _This has to be a prank of some sort_. "Get out of my house."

"Wait!" Naruto's hand shoots out to grab his wrist. Sasuke's eyes narrow as his fixes his gaze on Naruto's hand. _How the fuck does he stay so tan in the winter_? He wonders absentmindedly, noticing the contrast between their skin.

"Please, Sasuke. I just want to talk to you for a little while."

"I don't care. As I recall, you think I'm a 'fucking traitor'. So leave me alone." Sasuke can't help but snap. He is still angry with Naruto; for the lunch table incident last month, for not welcoming him back when he returned, for not understanding that Sasuke had things he needed to work things out on his own.

Instead of laughing it off like Sasuke him to, the blond sighs. "Yeah, I know. I wasn't even gonna come here today, but mom threatened to cut off my allowance if I didn't apologize to you." Naruto frowns. "Stupid Kiba, she wouldn't have even known we weren't talking if it wasn't for him..." he grumbles to himself.

Sasuke's lip twitches. He knew he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. "So get the hell out of here, then. It's not an apology if your mother makes you."

"No, no!" Naruto held up his hands quickly. "I mean, yeah, she made me come here, and at first I was really pissed off cause I thought you should apologize first. But then I was thinking as I was walking over here, that maaaaaaaaybe I was a little too harsh with you. Don't get me wrong; I was really pissed at you when you came back, 'cause you were acting like everything was still cool and stuff."

"Hn."

"But then I started thinking about how it must have sucked, having to move right away and dealing with a new school and stuff. And how you must have been really lonely because you didn't have your brother or me with you. So I felt really… bad."

Naruto pauses, and then he actually takes one of Sasuke's hands in both of his. "I came here to say that... I'm really, really sorry. About being a dick to you when you came back, and about calling you a traitor and stuff. I was really upset at you."

"Uh-huh."

"So...yeah. I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

Sasuke looks at the blond. He's grinning sheepishly, one hand rubbing the back of his head, the other holding Sasuke's. The Uchiha snatches his hand away. "Moron. Your hand is cold."

Naruto doesn't seem phased. "Do you forgive me or not?" He whines, jumping up and down a little.

This was the first time anyone had visited him at his house since his return from Sound. Not even Sakura or Ino, (who Sasuke still periodically checked outside his window for), had attempted to hang out with him outside of school. Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin were all right to be around, but they weren't in a hurry to become best friends with him. It was almost sad, being in his mansion alone all the time. It didn't feel like home without Itachi. He could use some friends.

Not to mention the fact that he missed Naruto like crazy. But that was something he planned on keeping to himself.

Naruto is still looking at him with that dumb hopeful expression on his face.

Sasuke shrugs. "I'll think about it."

Naruto's face falls. "Sasuke..."

Sasuke rolls his eyes, a small smile gracing his lips. "Come on, idiot. You need to warm up. Let's go to the library."

"Really!?" Naruto's face lit up. "Uh, I mean, okay."

* * *

**4:25PM**

- o -

The two boys are sitting side by side on the thickly carpeted library floor, half-empty cups of hot chocolate at their sides. Their afternoon had been spent lying around, relaxing and talking to each other as if they had never stopped being friends. Sasuke had found their old elementary school yearbook, and they had been flipping through it, amused by how young everyone looked. Afterwards, Naruto had filled Sasuke in on everything interesting that had happened in Konoha while he was gone.

A maid brings brought up a plate of cookies for them to share. Sasuke isn't too fond of sweets, so he lets Naruto have the whole plate. The blond gobbles them down happily, telling Sasuke that 'your cook makes way better cookies than my cook.'

Naruto has some crumbs by the corner of his mouth, and Sasuke really wants to wipe them off. Instead, he snaps his fingers to get the other boy's attention. "Moron. Your face."

"Huh? Oh." Naruto wipes at his face with his hand. "Thanks."

"Yeah." Sasuke settles back against the bookshelf.

"Can I... Sasuke, can I tell you something?" Naruto is looking at the Uchiha, his expression unreadable.

Sasuke shrugs. "Yeah, what?"

"You got... hotter since you left. I mean all the girls liked you before, but when you came back..."

Sasuke smirks. "Hn. Like I didn't already know that, moron."

"Asshole." Naruto punches Sasuke in the arm, a grin stretching across his face. "Now you're supposed to compliment me!"

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Fine. You're not as baby faced as I remember."

"I know!" Naruto exclaims. "And I'm waaaaaay taller than I was before."

"I guess." Sasuke takes a sip of his hot chocolate, enjoying the warmth that spreads throughout his body.

"So... when you were living with your uncle, you missed me, right?" Naruto nudges him, grinning widely.

"Maybe." Sasuke smirks.

"No, really, what was it like?" Naruto turns his whole body to face Sasuke, bright blue eyes focusing on the dark haired boy in front of him. Sasuke feels almost flustered at having the blond's full attention on him.

He puts his head in his hands. "It was pretty awful. I didn't have any friends."

"That sucks. Was your uncle nice, at least?" Naruto asks.

"He was… creepy. " Sasuke grimaces. "He left me alone most of the time, but it was pretty awkward when we were around each other. He didn't have any kids, and I think he was trying to make me his son or something."

Naruto laughs. "Wow. That's really messed up." He sets his mugs down on the carpet, then stretches. "It must feel nice to be home."

The dark-haired boy shrugs.

_No._

_

* * *

_

**10:31PM**

- o -

Neji has quickly come to realize that there is nothing to do when Gaara isn't around.

The first two weeks were fine. Neji was too busy anticipating Gaara return each night, so there was no real time for boredom to settle in. Now, things are different. His life has become a never-ending cycle. Wake up, drive for miles, eat, drive some more, check into a motel, watch TV all night while Gaara went out to bars, have sex with Gaara when he came back, go to sleep, wake up. Neji is bored, and quite restless. His fear of going out alone had faded after the second week or so, when he realized that no matter where they went, everything would be unfamiliar to him. He thought about going out and exploring their surroundings more than once. However, Gaara always took the key with him when he left. Neji also doesn't have any money, so there was really nothing he could do once he got out there.

Right now, Neji is sprawled on his back across the bed, literally counting the cracks in the ceiling. The TV is on the in background. He had been watching the weather channel for nearly an hour. In Konoha, it had snowed all day. Apparently they are now in a city called Kisaga. Here, it is cold, but not ridiculously so. Before turning over onto his back, he had braided and unbraided his hair at least twenty times. Before doing that, he had recited aloud the name of every book he had ever read, just for the sake of it.

He growls in frustration, rolling back over onto his stomach. There has to be something for him to do. He couldn't believe that Gaara just went out every night and left him here all alone, bored to death, while he had a grand old time drinking and playing cards…

Neji sits up.

Truthfully, he is curious about what Gaara does every night. He knows that Gaara always went to bars and plays cards all night, always coming back to the hotel room with a decent amount of money. But what was that like? Was it fun? How did his boyfriend act around other people?

"He should at least have the courtesy to invite me along." Neji grumbles aloud. It really wasn't fair that he was bored all night while Gaara went out and did whatever he wanted.

"Maybe I should go check on him…"

That wasn't such a bad idea. He was probably going to end up going crazy if he spent another minute alone. About two hours earlier, he had watched Gaara exit the motel's parking lot, and go into a bar that was close enough for Neji to see from the motel window. It is close enough for Neji to know that he won't get lost on the way.

But what if Gaara got upset at him? What if he didn't want Neji around while he… was doing whatever it was he did?

_Honestly? Even if he yells at you, it's more interesting that anything you're doing here._

Five minutes later, after slipping on his shoes and a sweater, Neji is standing outside a bar a few blocks down from the motel. He opens the door carefully, letting in a cool breeze. The inside of the bar is dark, almost seedy, the sort of place that you'd see the antagonists in a detective movie hanging out at.

He spots Gaara at a table in the corner, sitting with his back to Neji with a beer bottle in one hand and a hand of cards in the other. The table is illuminated by a single, bare light bulb hanging above the center. There are about five other men at the table with him. Neji approaches cautiously.

He doesn't notice a solitary man at the bar staring at him as he walks to the table.

The other men sit up and take notice at the young brunet approaching them. One whistles low under his breath, while another licks his lips as he eyes Neji up and down. It is a muscular, blonde middle-aged man who speaks to him first.

"Hello, gorgeous. Are you lost?"

"N-no. I--"

"He's with me." Gaara doesn't even turn around to see if the person in behind him is indeed Neji; he could recognize that voice anywhere. He takes a swig of his beer, and then sets it down on the table as he listens to Shukaku's instructions.

"Really? You nailin' that?" A sleazy-looking man with a goatee asks, puffing on a cigar.

"Yeah, I am. And I raise you two hundred. What are you doing here, angel?"

Neji scratches his head. "I was bored." He says sheepishly.

Gaara glances back at the boy for the first time. Neji shyly tucks his hair behind his ear. "Can I sit down?"

"Yeah. C'mere." Gaara waves him down with two fingers. Neji takes a seat in Gaara's lap, his back against Gaara's chest.

"Hey. No cheating." Growls one of the other men.

Gaara scoffs. "He doesn't know how to play."

It is true; the game is quite confusing to Neji. Instead of trying to figure it out, he settles for leaning back against Gaara's chest, content with observing the game lazily, while Gaara casually strokes his thigh with his free hand. The air is thick with smoke, and Neji gets a whiff of alcohol every time the redhead exhales near his ear. It is much more exciting than being alone in the motel room. Even though he doesn't really understand what was going on, it is interesting to listen to the men talk, save for the comments about himself. It feels like he is intruding on something very... adult. Tenten would be jealous. Eventually, he figures out that the person with the most chips seems to be winning, and that person is Gaara. Neji can't stop himself from grinning.

The game is over far too soon for Neji's liking, which means that they have to go back to the motel. But Gaara has won a substantial amount of money, and that means he'd be in a very good mood when they got back.

Everyone is getting ready to leave, and most of the players are shooting Gaara envious looks. Neji watches as Gaara counts a wad of money, feeling immensely proud of his boyfriend.

It is at this point when a man gets up from the bar and approaches the two of them.

Neji notices him first. The man looks to be in his mid-forties, with a five-o-clock shadow and dark hair that is graying at the temples. He is dressed in a smart-looking business suit, and is staring at Neji as he walks over to them. Neji moves closer to Gaara as the man approaches. He stops in front of them; Gaara glances up, but doesn't say anything. Neji feels just a tiny bit uncomfortable.

"He's beautiful." The man comments, his hands casually in the pockets of his dark slacks. Neji doesn't know if he should thank him or not; he had been talking to Gaara, after all.

"Huh? Oh yeah, he is." Gaara says distractedly as he counted out his money.

The man steps closer. "So he's... yours, then?"

"Something like that."

"Would you be willing to... rent him out for a couple of hours?"

Gaara looks up sharply as Neji gasps. He waits for Gaara to burst out laughing, or for him to get upset and maybe try to hit the guy, but neither of these things happen. The redhead is staring pointedly at the man, trying to figure out how serious he is.

"Gaara...?" Neji says quietly, fear coiling in his stomach. _He can't really be thinking of...?_

The older male ignores him, his gaze fixed on the stranger. "I'm listening." He says, pocketing his poker winnings.

"How much?"

"How long do you want him?"

"Gaara--" Neji said, his voice rising in pitch. He can hardly believe this, that he was standing here listening to the man he loved,_ bargaining_ over him with a stranger.

"Two hours." The man responds, glancing over at Neji with something akin to hunger in his eyes. Neji shrinks back behind the redhead. _This can't be happening. _

"Three hundred dollars." Gaara says, staring straight at the man.

The man's eyes narrow. "Do you really think that's..."

"It is for a virgin." Gaara interrupts, crossing his arms.

"...Oh." The stranger seems to rethink his indignation. Neji isn't even able to process the outrageous lie Gaara has just told. They must've had sex at least twenty five times during the last month. True, Gaara had been too drunk to do anything with him for the past couple of days, but nonetheless…

"You mean you've never..."

"I'm not into that." Gaara interrupts smoothly. Shukaku is positively hysterical in his mind.

**You fucking liar!**

"But… I saw--"

"Look, if you don't want him, then I guess we'll just leave." Gaara puts a hand on Neji's shoulder, turning the boy towards the door. Neji breathes a short sigh of relief. Gaara was just messing around.

"No! No, I want him. You said three hundred?" The stranger is already reaching for his wallet. Gaara smirks inwardly; he knew a rich businessman when he saw one.

Neji, however, is not so pleased.

"Gaara..!" The brunet is panicking now, his fingers digging into Gaara's arm. "You can't possible be--"

Gaara cuts him off. "Neji, go wait outside."

"But--" _No, no, no…_

"I said _go_!" The redhead growls, shooting a glare at the boy.

Neji goes.

* * *

**11:08PM**

- o -

Neji looks up immediately when the front door to the bar opens and Gaara steps outside. He has been sitting on the curb, flitting between laughing at the situation and getting close to tears at the thought of Gaara selling him. He is still trying to convince himself that it is all just a joke. But Neji knows Gaara isn't a humorous type of person.

"Gaara!" Neji jumps up as soon as he sees the redhead, and is in front of him in an instant. "What did you say to him, you told him no, right? What am I saying, of course you said no, you would never sell me. You would never sell me, right, Gaara, right?" The brunet is babbling fearfully, wringing his hands in front of him.

Gaara's face is expressionless. He looks down at Neji and heaves a sigh, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Right?" Neji repeats weakly.

"I didn't 'sell' you." At these words Neji exhales a sigh of relief that seems to exhaust his whole body. "Oh, Gaara…"

There was no way to put this lightly. "I rented you out." Gaara says bluntly. The boy's smile drops immediately, and it would have been funny if Neji didn't look as if he were about to start sobbing. Looking at the expression on Neji's face, he wonders how he could ever have thought that the boy would willingly go along with this.

"W-what!?" The brunet exclaims in horror, milky white eyes widening in shock. "Please, Gaara, please tell me you're joking."

Gaara runs his hand through his hair. "Baby... we need the money."

"You'll have to find some other way, then! I can't do that, I can't... I can't sell my body..." There is a soft, underlying burst of disbelieving laughter from Neji, like he still believes Gaara isn't serious.

Gaara raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. "_I_ will? There's two of us, Neji. And I don't remember the last time you tried to support us."

_He's right. Gaara has been taking are of you for weeks. Isn't it time you returned the favor?_

"'I'll get a job, then! But not that, I can't believe you'd even--"

"Get a job _where_? Hate to break it to you, kid, but no one's gonna hire a sixteen year old who won't be in town for longer than a day."

"Then I'll-- I'll..." Neji is at a loss for words. "I'll just…"

"Neji," Gaara says patiently. "You'll be fine, sex isn't a big deal--"

"It is to me! You're the only one who I want touching me, ever, Gaara..."

**Oh, I'm sure.**

"I thought you said you'd do anything for me." Gaara snaps. "What happened to all those things you said to me? You _begged_ me to take you with me, Neji. I told you that this was going to be dangerous."

"Yes, but... I--" Neji is shaking, looking at Gaara helplessly. "That doesn't mean-- Gaara, please..."

"I'm asking for your help. I mean, do you _like_ living like this?" Gaara's patience is starting to wear thin. "I'm not gonna force you, Neji. But do you really want to give up on us?"

**Ouch. That was low.**

Neji gasps. "Of _course_ I don't, how can you even _say_ that--"

"So just tell me you'll do this and--"

"And THEN what, Gaara?" Neji yells with a surprising amount of clarity. "Tonight its just two hours, but tomorrow it'll be four, and then six, until it turns into a full-time job. Meanwhile, we'll still be in a different motel every night, still living off of fast food and you still... you still won't..." He trails off, hands balled into fists as he shakes.

**Not exactly the glamorous life you expected, brat.**

Gaara studies Neji intently, masking his surprise at the boy's outburst. "Neji... what are you trying to say?"

Neji takes a deep breath, brushing his hair back over his shoulder. His eyes meet Gaara's with determination, although Gaara can see the boy's uncertainty shining within. "I don't want to give up on us. But I can't do something like that for s-someone who doesn't love me."

"I..." Gaara honestly doesn't know what to say. He thought that they had moved past this issue. "But... baby, I do lo--"

"DON'T." Neji's ferocity shocks even Shukaku. "Don't you DARE say that if you don't mean it, Gaara, I swear..."

The redhead falls silent, a look of near disbelief on his face. Neji had never spoken to him like that before. Sure, he had his petulant moments, like the time at the gas station, but he had never actually cut Gaara off before, had never glared at him with such a look of righteous anger.

**That's kind of hot.**

Neji exhales slowly. "I want to help you, honestly I do. But I don't know how much... how much faith I have in us. I love you so much, Gaara, but I can't do that if I'm not certain you love me back, if I'm not sure this is going to lead us anywhere..."

Gaara blinks. "I just need to get away from Konoha--"

"I know that!" Neji snaps. "But what about me? What are your plans for us? We've been driving for _weeks_, Gaara, I can't spend the rest of my life in your _car_--"

"I know." Suddenly Neji is wrapped up in the redhead's strong embrace. "I know, baby."

Neji gasps as Gaara pulls him close, cradling him tightly against his warm body.

"I-- I'm sorry you have to go through this. I know living like this is new to you, but baby, you've been doing really good so far." Gaara's breath is warm as he speaks into Neji's ear, eyes lowered. "We'll find a place to live eventually, just you and me. I promise. But right now we have to keep moving." His arms tighten around the boy's slighter frame. "I... I'm scared, baby. I don't want to get caught. I don't want to go to jail for something that shouldn't even be _considered_ a crime." He pauses, stroking Neji's like he did the first night, in the driveway. It seemed so long ago. "And I don't want to leave you." He murmurs into Neji's hair.

Neji is still in the redhead's arms, shocked at the extreme amount of... emotion Gaara was displaying. The other male sounded so open, so... raw... Neji can't help but relax in his arms and allow Gaara to hold him.

"But we'll die if we don't make it until then." Gaara says softly. "You understand that, right? This isn't about doing me a favor. This is about _survival_. And I will do everything I can to make sure we survive."

"Oh, Gaara..." Neji buries his face into Gaara's chest. He wishes that they could stay like that forever. Just him and Gaara, together, emotions so thick he can nearly taste them.

The wind dances around them, carrying dead leaves and flower petals past the couple. Gaara notices that Neji is still shaking and brings the boy even closer. The air is heavy with the scent of frost, and there is a lingering chill, promising that winter would catch up to them eventually.

"You said you love me, right?" Gaara says quietly.

Neji nods against his chest. "More than anything." he says weakly. He seems to be exhausted from the amount of yelling he had just done.

"Then do this for me. For us."

"I know, Gaara, I know! But I can't... I can't do this for you if there's no guarantee that you'll love me in return." Neji sounds close to tears.

"Listen to me." Gaara takes the boy's chin in his hand. Neji looks up, his ivory eyes misty with emotion. Gaara hopes he doesn't start crying. "There is no one in the world as important to me as you are."

Neji freezes, his breath catching in his throat. "R-really?"

**That's not much of a compliment. You hate everybody else.**

_Shut up, Shukaku. _Gaara nods, looking Neji straight in his eyes.

"Yes. You... you're the only person I feel anything for."

Neji stares, an overwhelming feeling of happiness welling up in his chest. It was as if the redhead had gotten down on one knee and proposed to him. Time seems to have stopped for them, and the only things Neji can focus on are those words. _…Me. I'm the only one. It's just me._

It wasn't a declaration of love, but it might as well have been.

"Do you mean that?" He whispers, gazing up at Gaara with the same look of reverence he had that night they had sex in his car. Suddenly the future doesn't seem so scary. Suddenly, he feels like he would do anything in the world for Gaara. He can barely breath around the euphoria he is feeling. He can't even think of a single time in his life when he was as overjoyed as he is now.

"Of course." And Gaara did mean it. How could he not? Neji is the only person who hadn't abandoned him.

Neji can't help the wide, silly grin that spreads across his face. He is so happy he can barely stand it.

"A-and you promise? We're really going to get a house together?" Neji's voice is thick with emotion. He can't even begin to think of how wonderful a life like that would be. No more breakfasts at fast food places. No more having to wake up and gather up all of his things in five minutes because check out was at ten. No more long, boring rides in Gaara's car.

_A life with Gaara. The man I love. _ What more could he ask for?

"Yeah. Wherever you want, baby." Gaara leans down, gently kissing him on the side of his mouth. "So you'll do it? For us?"

Neji is practically high on love.

"Okay." Neji sighs, trying to resist the urge to throw his arms around the redhead's neck and kiss him until they were both breathless. "F-for us."

**That'll be his downfall.**


	6. pulse and whine: a flashback

i don't own naruto. this story is also UNBETA'D.

i hope you all like this chapter. :) it's actually a flashback one, and it was already half written when I posted the last chapter, so that's why i was able to put it up so quickly. ugh, i keep making Gaara a bad guy. :( i don't do it on purpose, i swear!

important: i took this chapter down and put it back up for two reasons. first, there were some serious continuity issues that i had to fix. for example, at the very beginning it said 'one year ago' instead of 'six months ago'. also, i had to fix some parts where the story was still being written in the present tense instead of the past tense (cause it's a flashback).

the second reason was to add this little message:

this is the first fanfiction i've truly worked hard on. i would really, really appreciate it if you could take the time out to leave a review. i'm not trying to be all, 'blah blah i won't update until i get 10+ reviews blah', because i definitely plan on finishing this story. i have so many ideas for it. but all i ask is, if you like this story, then please tell me. don't just add it to your favorites without saying why. fellow authors should know how nice it feels to get a review on something you worked hard on. i just don't want to feel like i'm only writing for myself, you know? because if that's the case then there's no point in continuing. i know the story; i know everything that's going to happen. you guys don't. :p

and this is, of course, not directed towards everyone. i am astoundingly grateful to those who have taken the time out to leave a review. you have no idea how much you've motivated me. :] thank you so much, all of you.

lastly: this chapter is funnier/less dramatic if you start listening to cobra starship's 'good girls go bad' at 11:26PM. ;]

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

* * *

_**Friday, July 3**_

**six months ago**

**9:43PM**

- o -

"...A fake ID? Why do I need one of these?" Neji looked up at his best friend in confusion, holding the small plastic square and the birthday card it came in.

"So we can get into the club tonight, Neji!" The brunette girl exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly.

"...We're going to a club...?" The eldest Hyuuga child had been confused when, instead of a gift card or a check, an identification card with his face and the name _Hizashi Hyuuga_ printed on it fell from his birthday card.

"Indeed we are, Neji!" The brunet's other best friend piped up from where he was sitting on the couch in Tenten's living room. "Tenten and I had no idea what to get you for your birthday, so we decided to combine presents! She got the card made for you, and I am paying for you tonight."

Neji looked at his best friend. "Okay, I guess..."

Tenten grabbed his hand. "Come on, we have to get dressed."

Half an hour later, the trio was 'dressed', and Neji didn't know how Tenten talked him into it. He was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans that were entirely too tight and entirely too low on his hips. A simple white v-neck tee clothed his upper body, also a couple of sizes too small. Both objects of clothing had belonged to Tenten, and she had assured him over and over that the look was 'in' right now, and that no, he didn't look like a girl.

His two best friends had also gotten dressed up for the occasion-- Tenten was wearing a short skirt and tank top, her brown hair loose around her shoulders, and Lee was wearing dark jeans and a tight black tee that showed off his muscles for once. Tenten and Neji had tried to get him to tweeze his eyebrows, but the black-hair male had adamantly refused.

Neji had told his father that he was spending the night at Tenten's house, and it technically wasn't a lie because he hadn't actually known they were going to take him out to a nightclub. Tenten's parents were both away on a business trip, so there was no need for them to sneak out of the house. After they were dressed and ready to leave, Tenten led them out of her house and over to the nearest bus stop. Neji was a little nervous, as he didn't take public transportation that often. When the bus came, the three of them got on, paid their fares, then went straight to the back. The ride took about half an hour. They got off directly across the street from the club, where there was a long line in front of the entrance. They waited on it for about fifteen minutes before they got to the front.

Neji was nearly shaking as he approached the bouncer at the door. Lee slung an encouraging arm around his shoulder. The long haired brunet held up his ID nervously. The bouncer only glanced at it for a second, preferring to look at the pretty brunet shaking in front of him instead. He winked as Neji was dragged inside the structure.

The inside of the club was nothing like Neji had ever seen before. There were people _everywhere_. Drinking, dancing, having a good time. It was pitch black inside, save for the green, red, blue, and purple strobe lights flashing. There were huge speakers in every corner of the structure, pumping music so loudly that Neji thought the ceiling would come down. The Hyuuga's eyes were wide as he stared around the place. He felt so... small. Like he didn't belong there.

"This way," Tenten shouted in his ear, and her hand closed around his wrist as she pulled him in another direction. They came across a collection of tables, and had to fight their way though the other club goers to claim one.

As he was settling into his chair, Neji glanced up and caught the eye of a sandy-haired man with a toothpick in his mouth. The man stared for a second, completely ignoring the woman he had been talking to before. Neji blushed immediately and looked away, re-focusing his attention on Tenten, who was chattering excitedly.

"Isn't this great? Look, there are so many people!"

"...There are." Neji agreed, not sure what he should say.

* * *

**10:45PM**

- o -

Genma slid into the chair he had vacated only minutes beforehand. "You will not believe who's here."

"Back so soon? She couldn't have given it up that quickly." Kotetsu teased, earning a high five from Izumo, who was seated next to him.

Shut up. Guess who's here." The sandy-haired repeated, his face a picture of barely concealed excitement.

"Who?" Gaara sighed, more out of a need to get Genma to shut up instead of curiosity. It was a Friday night, and he and his friends had gone straight to the club after work let out, just as they did every week. It was really the only time they got to relax and hang out; most of them worked a minimum of six days a week, with only Saturdays free. This was their weekly ritual. Go out, get hammered, possibly pick up some girls, then spend all day Saturday sleeping off a hangover.

Genma's eyes gleamed. "I'll give you a hint: really long hair for a dude, white eyes..."

Gaara's fingers clenched around his drink.

There was only one person he know who fit that description.

"Hiashi Hyuuga?" The motherfucker who convicted him? Wasn't he a little to old to be in a nightclub?

Genma laughed, clearly having expected Gaara's answer. "Wrong. His son."

"His son?" The other members of the table looked up in interest. Gaara relaxed in his seat, slightly irritated at the fact that he had allowed Genma to set him up like that.

"Isn't he like, fifteen?" Kotetsu said.

"How the fuck did he get in?" Raidou added.

"He's a spoiled rick kid. Probably has connections." Gaara shrugged, taking a sip of the alcohol. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Because," The sandy blond rolled his eyes as if the answer was obvious. "This is the perfect opportunity to get revenge!"

Now that was a word Gaara understood. The redhead had only been out of jail for three months, and, like most of the other inmates he knew, still held a grudge against the prosecuting attorney that had convinced twelve people to put him in prison. He could still remember the way those empty white eyes had glared at him throughout the entire trial, as if Gaara had done something to the man personally.

Still, even though he hated the elder Hyuuga, Gaara still couldn't see what Genma was trying to say. "What, against a high schooler? He didn't do anything to me." He frowned.

"No... but it would be like sending a message. I hear Hyuuga is insanely protective of his kids." Genma elaborated. "As a matter of fact, I really think they're the only things he cares about. Imagine how he would feel if his oldest son got jumped, and there was no one he could prosecute for it."

"...Hm."

Gaara was starting to see the benefits of Genma's plan. He hated Hiashi Hyuuga, almost nearly as much as he hated his own mother, and would love to put the old man in his place directly. Unfortunately, if he did, everyone would know it was him at once. It was no secret that Hiashi had worked extra hard to lock Gaara away, and that Gaara had sworn that he would get the attorney back for that one day. However, if what Genma said was true, then it would be quite simple to rough the kid up a bit, maybe leave him in an alley somewhere. All he had to do was make sure the boy was still recognizable, and then it would just be a case of 'rich kid wanders into the wrong side of town and gets mugged'.

"That's not a bad idea." Gaara murmured, tapping a finger against his chin.

"W-wait... you guys, don't you think there's something a little... wrong with fucking up a fifteen year old? Especially since he hasn't done anything." Izumo said carefully.

The redhead shrugged. "Not especially. I've done worse."

"Think this through." Izumo continued. "What happens if you get caught, and the kid testifies against you? You're still on parole, Gaara. You really want to go back to jail so soon?"

"Fuck." Gaara groaned, slamming his beer bottle back down on the table. "You're right, Izumo." Trust the youngest of the group to be the voice of reason.

"It would've been great to get revenge against the motherfucker."

"Opportunities like this don't come along that often..." Genma said casually, still hoping that Gaara would go for his idea.

"So just fuck him or something." Izumo suggested.

Gaara choked on the mouthful of beer he had just swallowed. "What? He's like, ten years old. That's disgusting."

"Fifteen." Kotetsu reminded him offhandedly.

"Look, Gaara." Raidou was apparently starting to warm up to the idea. "The kid has to be here for a reason, right? Why else would he be here if he wasn't looking for someone to go home with?"

Kotetsu chimed in. "Just get him drunk and have sex with him. Then drop him off at his house."

The other members of the table all looked at Gaara, completely serious.

Gaara closed his eyes briefly. _What do you think?_

**Go for it.** The entity was grinning almost maniacally in Gaara's mind. **The kid deserves to get taken advantage of, if he thinks he's grown up enough to be here. It would teach that asshole lawyer a lesson as well.**

Gaara opened his eyes again. His friends were laughing around him, still coming up with reasons why he should attempt to seduce the kid instead of just beating him up.

"Shit, can you imagine the look on Hyuuga's face?" Genma cackled, leaning back in his chair. "He'll probably drop dead or something."

**Yes, Gaara what do you think Hyuuga's reaction would be? If you dropped the kid off at his house, covered in hickeys and your cu--**

"Yeah, and if you get caught, just say that the kid told you he was 18 or something. It happens all the time."

Gaara sighed heavily. "You guys--"

"Unless you think you're gonna get rejected."

"...What did you say?" Gaara cut his eyes at the sandy haired male across from him.

"You heard me. If you're too afraid of getting rejected by a high school kid, then, by all means, stay here." Genma challenged, a superior smirk on his face.

Gaara slammed his fist down on the table. "I'm not afraid of anything, dipshit."

"So.. are you gonna go bag this kid up or not?" Izumo demanded, just wanting to be done with the conversation.

"Fine." Gaara snapped, shooting a glare around the table. "It's not like I have anything better to do."

* * *

**11:26PM**

- o -

"Lee, I don't think you should be drinking that much..." Neji said cautiously as he watched his friend finish off another beer. The black haired-male smiled and hiccuped.

"Do not worry, Neji! I am -hic- a drinking champion! A CHAMPION OF LIQUOR!"

"If that's what you think, Lee..." Neji trailed off, rolling his eyes.

Tenten returned to the table, giggling. "This place is great! There are so many hot guys here, Neji, you wouldn't even believe--" She stopped herself when she saw the look on his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked, sitting back down at the table. "You're not having fun, are you? Oh, I knew I should have gotten you a watch instead!"

"No, it's not that!" Neji said reassuringly. "This is a great birthday present, I've always wanted to go to club... I... just don't know what to do..."

"Oh, well, that's easy! You just have to get out there and mingle!" She exclaimed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Talk to people. I've met three guys already."

"But... I mean, Tenten, we're probably the youngest people here..."

"So? Look, just flirt for a little bit. It's not like we're gonna see any of these people again."

"If you say so..."

"You'll do fine." The girl said absentmindedly, looking around the table. "Hey, where's Lee?"

The brown haired male looked up. Sure enough, the other male had disappeared from the table, along with his drink.

"Damn it! Okay, okay, I'll go find him." Tenten said frantically. "You stay here. Actually, go out and talk to people. I'll be back soon."

"All right." Neji nodded, standing up slowly as if he were planning on leaving the table. However, as soon as the girl left, he quickly sat back down.

* * *

**11:58PM**

- o -

Gaara approached Neji's table.

Genma had pointed him in the right direction, and from there on, it was only a matter of finding a scared high school kid sitting at one of the tables. As soon as Gaara had spotted a long mane of dark hair, he knew he had found him.

The boy looked up at the redhead as he came closer, and Gaara was caught off guard by how beautiful he is. Large ivory eyes surrounded by dark lashes, straight, aristocratic nose and soft pink lips. His long, glossy dark hair framed his face and cascaded down his back. Gaara was immediately glad that he had decided against beating the boy up-- he was too pretty to have his face smashed in. This was a much better idea.

"Hey."

"Um.. Hello." The boy blushed almost instantly.

Gaara fought back a smirk. _This is going to be too easy._

He gestured to one of the chairs across the table from the other male. "Can I sit down?"

Neji was taken aback. "Um. S-sure."

Curse his ability to spontaneously possess his sister's stuttering problem. Neji carefully examined the stranger as he sat down across from him. He was tall, with flaming red hair, green eyes, and a seductive smile. A dark red t-shirt stretched across his muscled chest, and, along with that, he was wearing faded black jeans and work boots. He looked to be older than Neji, but nowhere near middle-aged.

"Nice crowd tonight, huh?" The guy said once he was seated, gesturing to the masses of people around them.

Neji nodded, trying to stop himself from blushing again. He honestly couldn't believe it. He had this super attractive guy in front of him, talking to him, and he couldn't even think of anything to say. _I'm such an idiot._

"You don't look like the type to be sitting by yourself in a place like this." The redhead had to raise his voice a bit to be heard over the music and general noise of the club.

"Oh. What type do I look like, then?" Neji asked, hoping that he didn't sound like a complete moron.

The man leaned forward. "You look like you should be surrounded by friends. And definitely not in here. This place seems too... low-class for you."

Neji tilted his head to the side. "How can you tell?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"The way you're sitting. Back straight, chin up-- it's like you're too good for a place like this." The stranger leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms casually. " So are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Too good for a place like this."

"I..." Neji didn't know how to respond to this. He was actually starting to wish that he was anywhere but here. Sure, the man was complimenting him, but Neji knew he had about as many social skills as a wooden door, so it wouldn't be long before the man got fed up with how dumb he was and walked away. He sometimes wished that he could be as effortlessly charismatic as Tenten, or even Lee. Even if the dark-haired boy overdid it sometimes, he was friendly and helpful and people loved him for that. Neji, on the other hand, kept mostly to himself. Lee and Tenten were his only real friends. He didn't interact with people that much, so often, people would assume that he was standoffish and cold.

He looked down at his clenched hands, his hair falling into his eyes. "...I don't think I am?"

"Mm." Gaara made a noncommittal noise. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you here? Just out of curiosity." Gaara was far from being curious. He was actually on the verge of being bored. Normally, if he was trying to get a chick in the sack, he'd have already had her undressed and underneath him. This was taking way too long.

But still, he had a goal in mind. So he kept up the act of 'interested nice guy', smiling gently ever so often, keeping his eyes trained on the boy even though he could tell the kid was feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

"No. It's... uh... it's my birthday." Neji brushed his hair out of his eyes, glancing up but still unable to look the older male in the eye.

"Is it?" Gaara said, only slight more interested. "Well, that calls for a celebration, doesn't it? I'll order you a drink."

"Oh." Neji felt his face grow hot. "Um, you don't have to..."

"Don't worry about it." The stranger grinned rakishly. "I want to." He signaled to one of the club assistants, who was going around collecting empty bottles from vacated tables. Neji watched as Gaara said something to the woman, then turned back to him as she left.

"So... How old are you?" Gaara said conversationally, as if he didn't already know, folding his arms behind his head.

Neji clenched his hands together under the table. "Um... do I, uh, have to tell you?" He was sure that if the man found out that he was only sixteen, he'd leave right away.

"Of course not." That seductive grin again. "Can I guess?"

"N-No!"

"Hmm." Gaara stared at him for a brief second, pretending he was thinking. "I got it. You're sixteen."

Neji's mouth dropped open. "Wha-- How..."

"I'm good at guessing how old people are."

Neji's face burned. On the other hand, though, a slow relief spread through his mind. The other man knew how old he was, and yet he still wasn't leaving. That must have meant that the redhead had to have found at least one thing he liked about Neji.

"You're definitely one of the cutest sixteen-year-olds I've ever seen." The older male commented with a charming smile. Inside, he was nearly retching at how ridiculous he sounded.

"Thank you." Neji mumbled, proud of himself for not stuttering.

The employee came back and set two drinks down on the table. Gaara handed her some money, then slid the one with the umbrella in it across the table to Neji.

Neji stared at the drink in front of him for a second. Wasn't he... _not_ supposed to accept things from strangers? But the man was nice enough to buy it for him... one sip couldn't hurt...

One sip turned into two, and so on and so forth. The drink was sugary and delicious and Neji found himself blinking down at the bottom of the empty glass all too soon. Gaara laughed and ordered him another one. They chatted idly about random subjects, mostly whatever topics came into Gaara's mind that he thought would get the boy talking. He was pretty shy, almost to the point where it was annoying. Luckily, however, the alcohol seemed to be loosening him up.

The man seemed nice enough, and quite easygoing. Neji found himself relaxing during the course of the conversation, though he couldn't tell if it was because of the alcohol or because he legitimately felt comfortable around the older male.

"So if it's your birthday, then why are you here all alone?" The redhead asked as they waited for the sever to return once again with their order.

"I'm... uh... my friends were here, but they..." Neji trailed off, suddenly unsure of what he was talking about.

"...Left you all alone?" Gaara supplied.

"..Yes! That's it." The younger male nodded.

"That's not good. What if someone comes and takes advantage of you?"

"I... don't know." Neji shrugged, tracing the rim of his empty glass with his finger. "I'll... call my dad? He's a lawyer."

_Don't remind me._ Gaara ground his teeth for a brief second. "Nice." He forced out, shaking his head to calm himself.

Neji's second drink arrived shortly. He finished it almost as quickly as he did the first one. There was a pleasant thrum throughout his body, and he feels slightly light-headed and giddy. _I wonder where Lee and Tenten are...?_ He asked himself briefly.

"What's your name?"

"Hm?" His attention snapped back to the male across from him. "Oh. It's Neji."

"Neji, what?" Gaara asked, just to make sure.

"Hyuuga." The younger male didn't catch the brief smile that passed across the redhead's lips. "What's yours?"

"Gaara Sabaku." The name sounded vaguely familiar to Neji, but the alcohol was making his mind fuzzy and he didn't care to think about it any longer.

"Okay. You're really nice, Gaara."

Instead of laughing, like Neji had expected the redhead to do, the other male looked surprised. "Why do you think that, Neji?"

Neji waved his hand around. "Because... because you, y'know... you bought..." He paused, looking confused. "What were we talking about again?"

Gaara shook his head, a slow smirk spreading across his face. "Nothing. Do you want to dance?"

Neji hiccuped. "Okay!"

* * *

**12:18AM**

- o -

Twenty minutes later, Neji was deliciously buzzed. He stumbled over to the bar, giggling, with Gaara close behind. He pulled himself onto a stool, running his hand through his hair, pushing the wet strands from his eyes. "Water, please." He gasped to the bartender, turning to make sure the redhead was still behind him.

Gaara came up behind him and put his hands on the boy's hips. "You can't be tired already." He teased, lowering his head so his mouth is right by Neji's ear.

The younger male giggled. "Mm... I just need a break." He leaned back against the redhead's body. "You're sweaty."

"So are you." Gaara pushed the long curtain of the boy's hair to the side, leaning down and licking a bead of sweat from the nape of the younger male's neck. Neji shivered. He downed the whole glass of water the bartender sets in front of him, wiping his mouth when he was done. He turned back to the redhead, sighing as the icy water traveled through him, cooling him down just a little.

"Are we gonna go dance again?" He asked enthusiastically.

"Later, if you want. But right now, I want to show you something." Gaara is trailing his hands up and down Neji's sides, sending delicious shivers throughout the younger male's body. "Come with me."

Neji looked around. There was still no sign of Lee or Tenten.

He looked back at Gaara and smiled. "Okay."

The redhead grinned.

Gaara led him through the crowds of people, past the tables, past the dance floor, to a door in an unlit part of the club. A tall dark-skinned man stood in front of it, his muscular arms crossed in front of his chest. He nodded at Gaara as he came closer.

"Hey, Bee. Are there any rooms available?"

The man sighed. "Last door on the left. You owe me."

"Fine." The man stepped aside and Gaara guided Neji through the open door and into a long, dimly lit hallway with maroon walls. Neji barely had any time to look around at this completely different part of the club. All of the doors in the hallway were numbered and closed.

Gaara pushed open the last door on the left side of the hall. The room was medium size, with black marble walls and large circular red velvet couches, spanning the circumference of the room. Above and behind the couches, there were shelves stocked with all types of alcohol. There was a chandelier similar to the one in Neji's dining room at home hanging above the center of the room, crystals reflecting the light onto every surface.

Gaara released Neji's hand and went inside. Neji hovered by the doorway as the redhead sat down.

Neji suddenly didn't feel as confident as he did before. Things were different when they were back in the main part of the club. It was crowded and dark back there. This room was too private, and yet at the same time, too exposing. With no noise, and no dim lighting, there was no place for Neji to hide his imperfections. What if Gaara didn't think he was as cute when he wasn't bathed in club lights?

Gaara looked at him evenly, completely at ease as he reclined on the couch. The redhead didn't know what he would do if Neji backed out now; he was so close he could practically taste the boy already. And, of course, Neji's fearful speculation was wrong; if anything, Gaara could acknowledge that the boy was more beautiful in the light. His pale skin looked softer, and his hair shimmered with a natural mahogany sheen.

No, Gaara did not regret listening to his friends on this one at all.

"Close the door." Gaara ordered softly, his eyes locked with the brunet's.

Neji did.

"Come here."

Neji took a deep breath. Was he really about to do this?

He answered his own question by walking slowly over to the older male. He stopped directly in front of him, and reached out a shaky hand to gently press his fingertips to the redhead's knee. "Here?"

"Here." Gaara confirmed with a smirk. He took the boy's wrist in his hand and gently pulled him onto his lap. Neji's breath hitched as his legs parted to settle on either side of the redhead's thighs.

Gaara placed one hand on Neji's lower back, guiding him closer so their bodies were nearly touching. He looked up at the younger boy, who was already gazing down at him, his ivory eyes hazy with alcohol. Neji blinked at the green orbs returning his gaze, then, blushing lightly, licked his lips.

Gaara took this as an invitation.

The redhead took the boy's chin in his hand, pulling his face closer until he was able to capture the boy's lips with his own. Neji's eyes fluttered closed as the first contact between their lips sent a tingling sensation throughout his body. He kissed back softly, gently at first, unsure of how he was supposed to proceed.

Luckily, Gaara did all of the thinking for him. He wasted no time in parting Neji's lips with his tongue, delving inside the younger boy's sweet mouth. Neji gasped at the foreign display of aggression and wound his arms around Gaara's neck, his hands splayed across the redhead's strong shoulders. He had never been kissed like this. The feeling was so new, so different... and Neji was quickly becoming enamored with it.

The more they kissed, the more the younger male felt like he was in heaven. Gaara dominated his mouth, and Neji had no choice but to hold on for the ride and let him do what he wanted. The redhead's tongue was hot and wet in his mouth, coaxing and exploring and _taking_. Neji felt something stir in his lower belly.

This man... he kissed differently than Shikamaru did. Neji felt like he was being invaded, consumed. The redhead's hands were placed confidently on Neji's body: one on his hip, steadying the boy as he kissed him hard, and the other stroking his thigh, a far cry from the tentative touches Shikamaru would give him.

Oh... Shikamaru. Was Neji... cheating on his boyfriend? Technically, they had never broken up. But still... Shikamaru was so far away. There was no way he expected Neji to be 'faithful' to him, was there? But at the same time...

...it was too complicated. Neji pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind, focusing instead on the the hot older guy who was making him feel so good.

Gaara tugged the boy even closer by one of his belt loops. His fingers slid under Neji's shirt, caressing the smooth skin of the boy's stomach. Their tongues slid against each other slowly, sensually. Neji moaned, overcome by the sensations. The man's larger hands were so warm against his skin. The way the redhead kissed, the way he touched Neji, it made the younger male so _hot_. It made him want to...

Neji pulled back slightly, breaking their connection momentarily so he could catch his breath. Gaara patiently gave him all of three seconds before he tugged lightly at Neji's bottom lip with his teeth, groaning slightly when Neji followed Gaara's mouth and started up another passionate kiss. It looked like the boy was a fast learner. Gaara's hand slid further up Neji's shirt, and he brushed his thumb across one of the boy's nipples, causing the younger male to cry out on approval. Gaara's other hand traced up and down the arch of Neji's now partially exposed back, enjoying the way the boy shivered under his ministrations.

Neji was beyond caring about anything he had been worrying about earlier. He wanted... _something_, and whatever it was, he wanted it _now_. With Gaara. The only thing that would stop him now was--

Something vibrated against his leg.

Neji pulled away, breathless. Gaara groaned and Neji gave him an apologetic look as he pulled out his cell phone, flipping it open. "H-hello?"

"Where are you? I finally found Lee and we went back to the table, but you weren't there." Tenten, as well as the background noise of the club, was exceptionally loud in Neji's ear. He winced, pulling back from the phone a bit.

"I..." Gaara leaned forward, kissing the brunet's neck. Neji was momentarily distracted, stuttering a bit as Tenten tried to catch his attention.

"Nevermind. Look, we gotta leave. I just got a text from your sister. Apparently you left your toothbrush at your house and your father's driving over to mine to deliver it."

"O-ooh..." Neji breathed as Gaara bit into a sensitive spot just below his ear.

Tenten didn't hear him. "Meet us out front. I'm hailing a taxi."

"O-okay." He closed the phone and re-focused his attention on the redhead in front of him.

"I-- I have to go." Neji sighed as the redhead removed his hands from beneath his shirt.

"So soon, Gorgeous?" Gaara murmured, stroking the boy's thighs. _Fuck_. There hadn't been nearly enough time for him to leave any sort of lasting evidence that he had been with the boy.

"Yes."

Thinking fast, Gaara said, "You're so beautiful. Can I see you again?"

The boy flushed red. "Really?"

"...Yeah." Gaara smirked, tucking a strand of Neji's hair behind his ear. "Unless you don't want to..."

'No! I- I mean, yes. Yes, you can see me again." Neji could hardly believe Gaara was serious. He really wanted to see Neji again? An unintended smile spread across his lips, and it soon blossomed into a happy grin.

Gaara couldn't help but grin as well, but for an entirely different reason.

* * *

**12:37AM**

- o -

Neji reached the front of the club just in time to witness Tenten attempting to push Lee into the cab. Neji helped her, and within seconds, they were all inside and on their way back to Tenten's. Two minutes into the ride, Lee was fast asleep on Tenten's shoulder.

"I found Lee dancing with three women at the same time." The brunette girl commented, running her fingers through Lee's hair. "They all got really upset when I tried to drag him away."

"I bet." Neji said, not really paying attention. He was staring out of the window, his hands clasped tightly together in his lap. He could still feel Gaara's lips on his neck, those strong thighs under his own, that musky, dangerous scent...

"...Where were you, Neji?" Tenten asked suspiciously, interrupting his reverie.

"I was with.. this guy..."

Tenten gasped. "What!? What did he look like? What was his name?"

"His name was Gaara." Neji said dreamily. "He was sooo..." The brunet couldn't even bring himself to finish. He was going over their final minutes together in his head; Gaara asking for his number, Gaara walking him to the exit of the club, Gaara leaning down and kissing him in front of all of those people before whispering, "See you around, _Neji_..." and disappearing back into the club.

The girl nudged him in the ribs. "Oooh... Neji, you've got it bad!" She teased. "So... was it a good birthday present?"

"It was the best." Neji said, leaning over and hugging his friend tightly.

* * *

**12:41PM**

- o -

"Gaara's back." Izumo announced to the rest of the table. Everyone looked up at the approaching redhead, and Kotetsu started up a mock round of applause as Gaara took his seat.

"So what happened?" Genma leaned forward, removing the toothpick from his mouth. "Did you fuck him?"

"Nah. I'm going to, though." The redhead grinned. "Gave me his number and everything."

"Nice." Kotetsu smirked.

"Good job."

"Lemme get another round over here, bitch!" Genma yelled at a passing pretty blonde cocktail waitress. Izumo sighed at his friend's rudeness, adding a 'please' to the end of Genma's statement, even though no one hear him.

"How far did you get with him?" Raidou asked.

"We made out for a little while back in one of the VIP rooms. He let me feel him up and shit."

"What was his name?" Izumo questioned.

Gaara shrugged. "I don't know. It started with an 'M' or an 'N' or something."

The waitress appeared at the table with a large tray and started setting down beer bottles in front of everyone at the table. Gaara eyed her cleavage when she placed his beer on the table, winking at him in the process. He had gotten pretty worked up from being with Neji, despite the fact that the kid wasn't exactly his type. He could use someone to relieve his pent-up 'energy'.

When the waitress turned to leave, Gaara reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. She turned to look at him, not at all surprised or threatened.

"What time do you get off tonight?" He asked lowly.

She leaned in close, exhaling sultrily by his ear. "One-thirty."

"Meet me out back after your shift. Got it?" Gaara said, releasing her wrist in favor of snapping one of the straps of her garter against her thigh.

She giggled, nodding an affirmative. Gaara watched her walk away, noticing how she exaggerated the swing of her hips.

"Shit, you are just raking them in tonight." Raidou laughed.

"What can I say?" Gaara grinned lazily.

Genma raised his beer in a mock salute. "Here's to you, Gaara."

All five men toasted, clanking their drinks together at the center of the table. Genma took a long swig, then added, "Oh, and we've all sworn not to tell anyone else that you're a pedophile."

"Fuck off."


	7. aftershudders

i don't own naruto.

this was supposed to be up by Christmas, but, yknow. stuff.

i tried pretty hard to make Gaara not look like a jerk in this chapter, can you tell? :)

the next chapter will have some more narusasu (yay!), and neji will make a new friend. just for fun, you guys should guess who it is. ;)

thank you to everyone who reviewed!

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

_**Sunday, December 6**_

**2:26AM**

- o -

The motel room is dark. The curtains are drawn, so Neji can only see a small sliver of moonlight when he turns his head. He is on his back, naked, with sweat and semen drying on his stomach. He is not alone. The other sole occupant of the room is a stranger; someone who Neji has never seen before tonight. This stranger, while nice enough, is not his boyfriend. This stranger had just paid three hundred dollars to have sex with him.

Understandably, Neji feels slightly ill.

"You're beautiful."

Neji looks back up at the ceiling. The man speaking to him is pulling his pants back on, threading his leather belt through the loops.

"I know that you weren't a virgin. It doesn't matter to me. The minute I saw you..."

Neji blinks. He had let a man touch him that wasn't Gaara. He had let a man _inside_ him that wasn't Gaara.

And the worst part was that he had actually enjoyed it.

Or, at least, his body did. It was a different sort of experience. Neji hadn't screamed, hadn't cried, hadn't done anything but whimper and lie still as his body was used. And while the role he took was completely passive, to his utter shame, he had taken pleasure from the act. Every time the man had done something to him that felt good, Neji had felt as if he was betraying Gaara by enjoying it. He had his eyes shut for as much of it as he possibly could. Not that it had made a difference; the lights had been off the entire time, so, if Neji had been so inclined, he could have easily pretended that the man was Gaara instead. But there was no fantasizing to be had. He was fully conscious of what he had done and who he had done it with, and the shame was nearly eating him alive.

He can still feel the heat of the other man, can still feel the saliva on his skin. For some reason, the remnants of their encounter were effecting him more than when he was actually in the middle of the tryst.

The man buttons up his shirt. "Your… uh… your friend will be back soon. You should get dressed."

Neji sits up, slowly. He turns so he is sitting on the edge of the bed and reaches for his discarded jeans. He stands up momentarily to pull them up over his hips, then sits back down, pulling up the zipper.

"Here. Take this."

A fifty dollar bill flutters down onto Neji's lap. Neji stares at it blankly, then takes the crisp bank note and sticks it in his pocket. He whispers a 'thank you', then leans down to pull on his shoes.

Three sharp banging noises echo throughout the room. Neji doesn't even look over at the door as the man hurries to open it. He pulls on his shirt and grabs his hoodie, once again ignoring the stranger as he bids him farewell.

The man nods at Gaara as he exits the room. Gaara ignores him, having already gotten what he wanted from him. He turns his attention to Neji, who winces slightly when he steps from the dark interior of the room into the obnoxiously bright hallway.

"Do you need help walking?" Gaara asks quietly.

"No." Neji says. Gaara puts his arm around him anyway. The room they are in front of is in the same motel that they were staying at (arranged by Gaara), but it is one floor above the one they are staying in. Neji lets Gaara lead him over to the staircase at the end of the hallway.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No."

They enter the stairwell. It is dimly lit, and dusty. The man is long gone.

"Did he use a condom?"

"Yes."

The rest of the walk to their motel room is silent. Gaara unlocks the door, allowing Neji to go inside. The younger male does, pausing only to turn on the lights. He moves to sit on the bed-- which has the same gaudy, pea green sheets as the bed he had just been taken on-- but Gaara takes his arm.

Without saying a word, the redhead leads him to the bathroom. The bathtub is filled near to the brim with water, and if Neji wasn't feeling so numb he would actually be surprised and grateful.

Gaara guides the younger male to the middle of the room. He helps him pulls off his shirt, pants, and underwear, until Neji is completely nude. The Hyuuga keeps his head down, eyes fixed on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor, while Gaara circles around him, lifting up his hair, examining the insides of his arms and thighs to make sure that he was unhurt.

Shukaku is laughing. **What, you finally got a conscious all of a sudden?**

Gaara shakes his head slightly. While he was waiting for the boy's time to be up, he had remembered how his uncle Yashamaru used to take care of him, after he would come home from fights in school. He figured that he should make an effort to make sure Neji was as comfortable as possible once he got back.

Gaara places one hand at the base of Neji's spine and guides him over to the bathtub. He gently grasps Neji's arm and helps lower him into the bath. The water is hot enough to be relaxing, but not scalding. Neji sinks into it with a barely-there sigh.

Instead of leaving, Gaara sits down on the ground next to the tub. Neji is briefly reminded of a night, roughly about a month ago, when they were in a similar position. However, this time, Neji isn't afraid. This time, Neji can't feel anything besides complete and utter disgust for himself.

What did the red head think of him? Did he think Neji was as dirty as he felt? Did he know how the other man made him squirm and gasp? It didn't matter to Neji that Gaara was the one who had suggested he sell himself in the first place; Neji was still the one who went through with it, and he was the one who had to deal with the guilt.

Neji wraps his arms around his body in the water. He can almost feel the contamination on his skin, feel the physical manifestation of his crime. Neji squeezes his eyes shut as he feels his stomach drop with sickness.

"Neji." The brunet re-opens his eyes to find Gaara watching him evenly. Neji can hardly stand the gaze of the other man's brilliantly colored eyes.

"Do you think I'm disgusting?" He croaks.

Gaara is surprised. "No." He scratches the back of his head.

"Yes you do." Neji is shaking in the tub, almost close to hyperventilating. "You think I'm gross. I'm hideous. I'm not worth--"

"Stop it." Gaara grabs the boy's face with his hands. "You're wrong."

Neji lowers his eyes.

"Look at me." The redhead demands, tilting the boy's face up. Neji is forced to comply.

"Gaara..."

"Yeah?" His fingers curl around the boy's jaw.

"Kiss me?"

Gaara obliges, leaning forward until their mouths meet. The redhead kisses Neji gently, in a way that is unfamiliar to the brunet. It is almost like Gaara is afraid to do it; like he thinks that anything more than Neji could handle tonight would send him over the edge. Neji doesn't like it. He reaches out, pulling the redhead closer and kissing him harder. He needs the redhead to prove he still lov-- still cared about him. He drapes his wet arm around the other male's shoulders, fingers clutching the back of his shirt as he rolls his tongue against the redhead's.

Gaara allows himself to be pulled closer. Water is soaking through his shirt and the position is a bit uncomfortable, but right now he only cares about what Neji wants.

"You're beautiful." He says when they break apart. It is the second time Neji has heard this comment in the last fifteen minutes, but it means a thousand times more coming from Gaara. "And nothing will ever change that." It sounded exceptionally romantic and caring, but truly, Gaara was just saying what he was feeling; the fact that Neji had slept with someone for money obviously didn't alter his outward appearance at all. To him, Neji was still the same emotional, slightly annoying but still exceptionally pretty, long-haired teenager. Honestly, Gaara couldn't really understand what Neji was going through, or why it was affecting him so much. But he did understand that as the kid's 'boyfriend', it was his job to take care of him, at least if he wanted to ask Neji to do something like this again.

**Well, aren't you just the most considerate person ever? It'd be cute if you were sincere. **

Neji's eyes shine with unshed tears. He lunges forward and kisses him again, splashing a substantial amount of water over the rim of the tub and onto the redhead's thighs. Neither male takes notice.

Gaara stays by Neji's side until the water grows cold. He then helps him out of the bath, and sits on the edge of the tub as he wraps a towel around Neji's shoulders. Neji keeps his head down, his soaked hair pressed against his face and obscuring his eyes. Gaara gently pulls the boy closer by the terry material so he can kiss him once more.

"Can I..." Neji looks up, his eyes searching the redhead's. "I just want... to be by myself. For a little while." He tugs the towel from Gaara's hands and wraps it around his waist.

Gaara nods. "I'll be outside." He leaves, pulling the door closed behind him.

Neji turns to the mirror. He blinks, then leans closer, staring at himself in it.

He notices for the first time how dull his eyes are. Once a beautiful, sparking ivory, now they were blank and grey. Dark circles were starting to form beneath his lower lashes. He looks paler than he remembers, and he knows that his hair will be limp and stringy when it dries. Neji has never been exceptionally vain, but even he knows that his appearance is changing. Is it because of the different environment they were in?

Or is it because he is unhappy? _Is_ he unhappy? Neji had given up everything to be with Gaara; but while he missed his family and friends dearly, when he woke up in the mornings and saw Gaara next to him, it was practically like a dream come true. Sure, their life wasn't perfect, but he didn't hate it. Tonight was the worse he had felt since they had started their journey, but that was only because…

…because of what he had been reduced to. Having sex with men for money, just to be with Gaara.

He was a _prostitute._

Neji braces his arms against the edge of the sink. His eyes shut tight as he dry heaves, the solid truth of the matter finally sinking in. "Prostitute." He retches, coughing up spit into the sink.

If his father knew what he was doing, he'd have a heart attack on the spot. If his sisters, his friends knew...

…But they weren't ever going to know. Gaara had no intention of ever returning to Konoha, and that meant that Neji couldn't either. He had no money (save for the $50 tip he had just received) and no idea where he was. The chance of Neji successfully making his way back to Konoha by himself were slim to none.

And of course, he would never leave Gaara in the first place. The red head was the only person he had left. And Gaara still wanted him. Gaara didn't think he was disgusting. He was still there after he had let someone else have sex with him. And that was all he needed, right? Neji's life now only focused on the older male, and their relationship together. And if Gaara was happy, that meant that Neji had to be happy by extension.

He was doing this _for_ Gaara. For a better life.

Neji pushes his hair back away from his eyes. _Everyone has to make sacrifices._ He tells himself. _Gaara has given up so much for me, but I haven't done anything for him but hold him back. _

He suddenly feels even worse. Compared to his own life, Gaara's had been horrible. He had gone through things that Neji couldn't even imagine. He was so wrapped up in worrying about himself that he hadn't even thought about what Gaara was going through. Living like this was probably just as foreign to him as it was to Neji.

_I'm so selfish._ The boy thinks sadly. _I don't understand how he can still want to be with me._

A perfect life with the man he loved wouldn't just fall into his lap. He had to work for it.

_...I have to earn it._

* * *

**6:05AM**

- o -

It seems as if Neji has just fallen asleep when Gaara starts shaking him awake.

"Wake up." The redhead is already dressed, and has his toothbrush hanging out of the corner of his mouth.

The younger male groans, rolling over and looking at the alarm clock.

"Gaara... it's only six. I'm tired." Neji sighs and snuggles back into the blankets, eager to resume his fantasies. He had been dreaming of domestic life with the redhead, a life where Neji would cook Gaara breakfast every morning and then kiss his husband goodbye when he left for work, only to spend the rest of the day cleaning the house and taking care of their kids. A bit ridiculous, and frankly, Neji would be embarrassed if he were a housewife, but it was his dream and he had been enjoying it.

"I know you are. But we're going somewhere else. You can sleep later." Gaara pulls the covers off of Neji. The boy shivers in the early morning chill.

"Where..." Neji interrupts himself with a huge yawn. "Where are we going...?"

"You'll see. Come on, baby, get up."

Slightly confused, Neji follows the redhead's order. There is no mention of the previous night while they get their things together. Neji's fatigue blurs his memory. He honestly only remembers getting into bed with the redhead, then being woken up by him. Gaara has no intention of bringing the subject up.

Ten minutes later, Neji is in the passenger seat of Gaara's car, leaning blearily against the window. He is still wearing Gaara's t-shirt, the one he usually slept in, and a pair of boxers. Gaara hadn't told him he had to get dressed, so Neji saw no reason to. He had turned on the heater as soon as he got into the car, and tried to make himself as comfortable as he could in the front seat, leaning against the window. Gaara didn't let him sleep in the back of the car anymore because it would attract suspicion.

As soon as Gaara pulls out of the motel's driveway, Neji is fast asleep again. Gaara breathes a sigh of relief; he really didn't want to have to spend the entire car ride comforting the boy.

**So how does it feel? Now that you're the kid's pimp, and all.**

_Shut up. That's not what I am._

**Why not? You've been called worse things.**

…Of course, that meant he now had to deal with the entity in his mind with no distractions. The redhead sighs. _It's too early for this shit. _

An hour later, Neji jolts awake when the car comes to a screeching halt. He opens his eyes, and just manages to catch a glimpse of the time-- 7:43AM-- before Gaara shuts the car off. The younger male sits up and blearily takes in his surroundings. They are in what looks to be a parking garage, full of cars but devoid of people at this time in the morning.

Gaara leaves the car and opens the trunk. He yanks out his (their) suitcase and opens it, pulling out a pair of sweatpants that were too small to be his.

"Here. Put these on." Neji is beside the older man at the point.

He yawns again. "Okay."

He does as he is told, and then sits on the now closed trunk of the car to re-tie his shoelaces. When he is done, Gaara grabs the suitcase and starts walking to the exit. A very confused Neji hurries after him. "Gaara, where are we?"

The redhead grunts. After a five minute walk, they exit the garage and Neji finds himself standing in front of a huge marble building. There are various expensive-looking cars waiting idly in front of the entrance, and different men in maroon uniforms push golden carts stacked with suitcases in and out of the doors.

"A... hotel?"

"Mm-hm."

"But Gaara, how can we afford--?"

Then it all comes rushing back to him. What he did. What he was. _Prostitute. Whore._

A wave of dizziness overtakes him. He sways a bit, leaning against Gaara for support.

"You okay?" Gaara steadies the younger male.

"Y-yes." Neji shakes his head and stands up straight. _Stop it, Neji. Don't be a burden. _

"Come on." The older male leads him inside, pointedly giving him a look that read, '_don't make a scene_'.

Neji hangs behind Gaara as the redhead speaks to the attendant behind the huge marble desk. The lobby is bright and extravagant, at least three times the size of the vestibules of the motel rooms they had been staying at. The floor is made of polished, dark red stone, complimenting the mahogany walls and the gold light fixtures. Important looking people rush back and forth, none sparing the young Hyuuga a glance. Neji feels extremely underdressed in sweatpants and an over sized t-shirt.

Gaara receives a card key, and then beckons Neji to follow him. They take an elevator up to the seventh floor. Gaara unlocks to door to their room.

It is thickly carpeted, with a high ceiling and a large picture window that shows a beautiful view of the city, whichever city it might be. There is a decent sized TV within an open wooden cabinet, with a cable box perched on top of it. The bed in the center of the room is queen sized and wrapped up in soft looking sheets and blankets. There is a chandelier-- an actual crystal _chandelier_-- hanging from the ceiling.

Neji is nearly speechless with amazement. He steps into the room, taking in his surroundings. "But… why?"

Gaara shrugs. "I figured you needed a vacation or something." He drops the suitcase on the ground and closes the door behind him.

Neji turns to the redhead. "Are you sure we can afford to stay here?" He asks softly.

The older man nods. "For tonight."

Neji takes a step forward, then throws his arms around the redhead's waist. "Thank you." He says softly.

"No problem." Gaara raises his hand to stroke the boy's hair. "You should go back to sleep."

Neji nods and sits down on the edge of the bed, marveling at how soft it is. He reaches forward and takes Gaara's hand in his, drawing him closer. "Are you coming too?"

"No. I'm going to go out for a little while. To pick up a couple of things."

"...Okay."

Normally, the younger male would question Gaara on where and why he was going, but at the moment he is too tired and too eager to sleep in the alluringly comfortable bed to care. Neji pulls back the sheets and climbs in. The pillows are astoundingly soft and he sighs as he lays down. Gaara pulls the covers over his boyfriend's body, then leans down and kisses him softly.

Neji turns over on his side, smiling appreciatively. The comforter is thick and warm, and he falls back asleep almost immediately.

* * *

**1:23PM**

- o -

Neji slowly stirs awake, feeling as if he has just had the best sleep of his life. He yawns, turning onto his back. There is no one in the bed next to him, but to his right he can hear the sounds of a shower running. To be honest, he had half expected to wake up and find himself back in some dilapidated hotel room after having dreamt the entire morning. But as soon as he had felt the sun on his face and smelt the lingering scent of clean detergent on his sheets (as opposed to the faint hint of disinfectant the motel sheets always seemed to have) he knew that he hadn't imagined anything.

Neji sits up with a smile, stretching his arms outward. He turns to the alarm clock the check the time, and sees that he has been asleep for about six hours.

Something on top of the clock catches his attention. Neji rubs his eyes sleepily, then leans forward for a closer look. There is a black plastic bag on the bedside table that Neji doesn't remember seeing before. Curious, he reaches for the bag. He pulls it onto his lap and peers inside.

Neji gasps. Inside the bag is a bottle of his favorite shampoo. He takes the lavishly decorated container from the bag excitedly, hardly believing his eyes. Turning it over in his hands, he verifies that it is the real thing; the same exact brand, size, scent, everything. He pops the top open and sniffs, and is instantly hit with a wave of nostalgia, along with a sugary vanilla scent.

_Gaara must have bought this for me._ He thinks dazedly, clutching the bottle between his fingers. _I can't believe he remembered… _He absentmindedly twirls a strand of his hair around his finger, noting how it has smelled like generic motel products for the past four weeks.

Neji throws off the covers, nearly tripping and getting tangled up in the sheets in his excitement, and makes his way over to the bathroom. He opens the door, letting a cloud of steam out into the room. The bathroom is small but aesthetically beautiful; there are smooth turquoise tiles lining the walls, and a porcelain sink with silver taps. A vase of fresh daisies sits atop the toilet tank. Neji barely notices these things as he enters.

"Gaara!" He calls over the noise of the shower.

The redhead pulls back the vinyl curtain, mildly annoyed at having his shower interrupted. "What?"

Neji barely takes the time out to look appreciatively at his boyfriend's very naked, very wet body. "Is this for me?" He holds up the bottle carefully, as one might hold up a bar of gold.

Gaara responds with a smirk. "Well… it's not for _me_."

Neji's heart swells. "B-but why would you--?"

"What," Gaara teases, feigning ignorance. "My baby's hair can't smell good?"

Neji blushes so hard he nearly drops the bottle. "I... um... thank you."

"You're welcome. You can come in, if you want." The redhead says casually.

Neji nods eagerly. He pulls off his shirt and steps into the shower, pulling the curtain closed behind him. Seconds later, he reaches back out and grabs the bottle, which he had set neatly on the floor.

* * *

**1:49PM**

- o -

Gaara orders room service as soon as they got out of the shower. Neji had turned on the TV, eager to catch up on his favorite shows. He now sits cross-legged on the bed, his vanilla-scented hair in a loose, damp braid down his back, with a bowl of rich chocolate pudding in his hand.

"Mmm." He puts the spoon in his mouth and moans lightly. "This is delicious. You have to try it."

Gaara is lying on his side, shirtless and facing the brunet, propping up his head with his arm as he read a newspaper.

"Did you hear me?"

"Hm? What?" The redhead looks up.

Neji takes a spoonful of pudding and offers it to Gaara. "Try it. It's good."

Gaara frowns. "I don't like chocolate."

"Just try it!" Neji whines, bouncing his leg impatiently on the bed.

Gaara rolls his eyes. He opens his mouth and allows Neji to feed him the spoonful. Neji watches him eagerly, waiting for a reaction. Gaara swallows thoughtfully.

"Well..?" Neji leans forward.

The redhead shrugs.

"Was it good?" Neji prods. "Here, have some more." He feels somewhat guilty; he was already on his second bowl of pudding, and Gaara hadn't ordered anything for himself. He scoops out another spoonful and guides it towards the redhead.

Gaara sighs. He looks up at the brunet, who is giving him adorable puppy dog eyes. If he were a lesser man, Gaara would have melted.

Instead, he reaches out and scoops up the spoonful of chocolate pudding with one finger, then smears it on Neji's bare calf.

"Gaara!" Neji shivers; the substance was cold.

The redhead leans forward and licks the pudding off in three quick swipes of his tongue.

"It tastes better when it's not in the bowl." Gaara says nonchalantly, then goes back to reading his newspaper.

Neji blushes violently. "Um… well, you don't _have_ to eat it from the bowl..."

Gaara grins, and practically tackles Neji to the bed.

* * *

_**Sunday December 6, to Monday, December 7**_

- o -

The rest of the day had been absolute bliss for Neji. It was full of delicious foods, relaxing baths, and random sexual activities with his boyfriend. Neji knew exactly why Gaara was being so nice to him, but he couldn't really bring himself to care. He had enjoyed himself so much that he didn't even think twice about the means Gaara had used to get him there. The knowledge had been in the back of his mind all day, but he had been so distracted by how lavish their hotel room was and how much attention Gaara was paying him that he never had time or the desire to think about it.

Unfortunately, the honeymoon had to end sometime.

The next night they are back in a cheap motel, with peeling wallpaper and ancient stains in the carpet. Neji's heart had sunk as soon as they had entered; he knew that there would be a stark contrast, but he still hadn't fully prepared himself for how… _shabby_ the room was. He would have turned right back around and left, if he had any place to go.

Neji is now seated on the edge of the bed, staring glumly at the steaming styrofoam cup of microwave noodles he has in his hands. The mattress he is perched on is lumpy and smells stale. The picture on the small TV in front of him is black and white and buzzing with static. He glances up at it, then heaves a sigh.

Gaara emerges from the bathroom. Neji watches as he walks over to the bureau, grabbing his keys from the surface.

"I'm gonna go out." Gaara says. "You can, uh, stay here, if you want."

Neji knows what he was really asking. There is only one place the redhead would go at ten o'clock at night, and there is only one reason he would tack that last sentence on.

He looks down at his microwavable dinner. He thinks of the delicious chocolate pudding he had not twenty-four hours ago. He thinks of the warm blankets, the shower with hot water that didn't run out, the stunning view of the city from the picture window when Gaara had him pressed up against it.

He values his boyfriend over his body, but does he value luxury over those things? Was comfort worth as much as his dignity?

For some reason, he could not muster up the same sickness he had felt immediately after he had spent those two hours with that man. There is apprehension, yes, and a little bit of nervousness. But he cannot bring himself to feel the same sort of disgust for himself, not after Gaara had spent an entire day making him feel beautiful.

"Prostitute." He whispers to himself, testing it out. His stomach drops a bit, but there is no retching or dry heaving.

"What was that?" Gaara crosses his arms over his chest.

"N-nothing." Neji starts. "Um, I... can I go with you?"

Gaara fixes his eyes on the younger male. "You sure?" _Do you know what I'm going to expect from you?_

Neji blinks, then stares him down. "I'm sure."

* * *

_**Monday, December 7 to Tuesday, December 23**_

- o -

If someone had asked Neji two months ago what he thought he'd be doing in December, his current situation would be the very last scenario he'd come up with.

Gaara never actually offered Neji to anyone. Men always approached him, whether it was sneakily because they didn't want anyone to know, or a loud, tipsy proclamation of, "How much?". It was always assumed that Neji was Gaara's property; no one ever even considered that the two were in a relationship.

It became easier the longer Neji did it. Pretty soon, one man would just blend in to the others, and Neji could pretend he was having sex with the same person every night to make himself feel better. Having sex with one man for money was much less of a crime than doing it with ten... twenty... maybe thirty? It didn't really matter to him. As long as the lights were off and his eyes were shut, they were all the same.

There were times, like with the first man Neji was with, when the Hyuuga actually took pleasure from the things being done to him. Those times disgusted him the most. He knew that getting aroused when someone kissed him or touched him was only natural; he was a sixteen year old boy, after all. But each time it felt like he was betraying his boyfriend. It was after encounters such as those that Neji was unable to sleep at night. Once he had expressed his concerns to Gaara, and the older male had laughed for a full minute until he realized that Neji was serious. Gaara honestly couldn't care less; he knew that Neji was only doing it for the money, and that there was no emotional attachment involved. Besides, as he had said before, sex wasn't a big deal to him. Hell, he used to have sex behind Neji's back all the time-- that didn't mean he liked the kid any less. Of course, he had decidedly refrained from sharing that last part with his younger companion.

The 'liaisons' always took place in a motel room not too far from the one they were staying, usually only a couple floors down. If anything got out of hand, Gaara was always nearby. He made it especially clear to each customer beforehand that if they hurt Neji in any way, they would have to answer to him. Everyone read his message loud and clear; Gaara didn't look like the type of guy you wanted to mess with.

They couldn't afford to stay in a hotel every night, but they did at least once every two weeks, and it was usually for two or three days at a time. These days made everything seem worthwhile to Neji. During their stays, he would pretend that their life was like that all the time; people serving them food, romantic nights spent in outdoor hot tubs, gazing out over the skyline and imagining that he owned it all.

* * *

_**Wednesday, December 24**_

**10:02PM**

- o -

Neji is lying on his side, idly watching the man he had just been with put on his shoes. He is fully clothed. For some strange reason, tonight's customer actually didn't want to have sex with him. Instead, he had only wanted to lie in bed with him, his arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Neji hadn't minded at all-- he didn't even tell the man when it was five minutes past the agreed time.

When Neji finally had to break the illusion (Gaara let Neji come back from jobs on his own now, but if he took too long, the redhead would come find him), he was shocked to see tears in the man's eyes.

He tilted his head to the side, looking at the man questioningly.

"It's just... you look so much like her. Except for the eyes. But everything else..."

Neji had nodded, unsure of what to say.

The man now pulls on his coat.

"Merry Christmas." He says, just before he leaves the room.

Neji's eyes widen.

It was Christmas?

_No way, it can't be..._

He hurriedly throws his hoodie back on, then races down two flights of stairs until he gets to the motel lobby. There is no one there but the elderly clerk, snoring behind the desk. Neji leans up on his toes, squinting past the attendant to the large calendar behind her. All of the days are crossed off up until the 24th of December.

"It's Christmas Eve." Neji whispers.

The clerk stirs in her chair. Neji takes this as his cue to leave. He makes his way back to his own motel room, slower this time, trying to sort through his thoughts.

Neji can imagine his family standing around a beautiful, statuesque pine tree, so fresh that the sap was still dripping. He can imagine his father standing guard in front of the tree until Hanabi went to bed, so she didn't try and sneak a look at her presents. He can imagine both of his sisters running into his room on Christmas morning, jumping up and down on his bed until he woke up, then dragging him downstairs so they could open their mountain of presents.

The memories nearly bring tears to his eyes.

After they opened their gifts, they would hang around playing with them until their relatives started to arrive to have dinner. The Hyuuga family was many generations old, and as such, there were a substantial amount of members. Neji was only close with his father and his sisters, but it was nice, being a part of such a grand community for one day of the year.

This is the first time he had been away from his family for the holiday. He had been so caught up in his and Gaara's daily routines that he hadn't even noticed the increase of lights on the streets, or the excessive green and red decorations that were placed in store windows. He curses himself for not noticing.

Gaara is sitting up on the bed when Neji gets back, drinking a beer and flipping through the channels on the TV. Neji closes the door behind him, then stands awkwardly next to the desk, wringing his hands.

"What?" Gaara spares him a glance. "What's wrong with you?"

"It's... it's Christmas Eve."

Gaara shrugs. "So…?"

The redhead himself had only celebrated Christmas once in his entire life, when he was still a baby. His mother had been in the hospital at the time, so him and his siblings had been left in the care of his Uncle. Instead of a tree, they had an large potted plant, decorated with ornaments his brother and sister had made out of construction paper. They had received one gift each from their uncle, and afterwards had indulged in chinese take-out. The memories of this experience were vivid for the older male, most likely because it had never happened again. Their mother had been out of the hospital a few days later, and had thrown anything holiday-related in the garbage.

Neji closes his eyes. "I…"

"What?"

"...Nothing."

"Okay. So go shower." Gaara changes the channel.

Neji does. Twenty minutes later, a slightly damp and more than slightly depressed Neji crawls into bed next to the redhead. He lays his head on the pillow and stares blankly at the wall.

Gaara reaches over to his bedside table and grabs an unopened can of beer. He hands it to Neji. "Here."

"What's this for?"

"Y'know. Happy Christmas and all that."

"Oh." The can is chilled cold in his hands. He looks up at Gaara, who raises an eyebrow at him. Neji's lower lip trembles.

Gaara frowns. "Oh, come on Neji, don't cry--"

The brunet practically flings himself at the older male, wrapping his arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Gaara awkwardly brings his free hand up to rub the boy's back. He can't tell if Neji is acting this way because he was happy or sad, but he figured that he should just go along with it until he found out.

Neji pulls away from the redhead a few minutes later. His eyes are dry, but there still seems to be an air of sadness hanging over him. He folds his legs beneath his body and grasps the beverage with both hands, looking at Gaara with an unreadable expression.

"…I don't know how to open it."

"Here." Gaara hands the boy his half-empty can, taking the unopened one from him and popping the tab. He holds his can up.

"Cheers?"

Neji follows him, clinking the bottom of his beer against Gaara's. He watches the older male take a long swallow. Neji takes a small sip, winces, and then takes another.

He leans against the older male, turning his attention to the cheesy holiday special that was on the television.

* * *

**10:34PM**

- o -

Hinata tiptoes carefully down the stairs, trying her best to stay quiet. She had been in her bed, lying awake and staring up at the ceiling up until five minutes ago, when she had heard the soft padding of her sister's feet sneaking past her bedroom.

It was way past Hanabi's bedtime. As the eldest child, it was now Hinata's responsibility to watch after her, and make sure she wasn't up to anything. She makes her way over to the parlor and stops, peering inside.

Hanabi is kneeling at the foot of the Hyuuga family Christmas tree. The tall pine is huge, but bare. Their father had bought the tree a week ago in the hopes that it would get them all in the Christmas spirit; but so far, it has remained undecorated.

Curious, Hinata enters the room. She approaches her sister quietly, stopping just behind the smaller girl.

"Hanabi, you k-know you're not supposed to look at your p-presents before Christmas..."

Her younger sister whirls around. "I wasn't!" She says defensively, clutching something in her hands.

Hinata crouches down next to her sister. "What is th-this?" She asks softly, tugging at the sloppily-wrapped gift in her sister's small hands.

There is tape all over it, and the paper is ripped in some places, but Hinata can tell that her sister put a lot of effort into the present. There is a small tag that has the words, 'To Neji, Love Hanabi.' scribbled on it in black crayon.

Hinata's eyes fill with tears.

"Hanabi..."

"Just in case he comes back!" Hanabi says fiercely, snatching the present back. "You and daddy might have given up on him, but I haven't!"

"I h-haven't given up either!" Hinata shouts. How could her younger sister even _think_ that, when Hinata spent nearly even minute awake thinking about her older brother?

The smaller of the two glares, her eyes beading with tears as well. "Then why do you two go around acting like he's dead all of the time?"

"I d-dont! Hanabi, you--"

The doorbell rings.

Both sisters freeze.

Hinata slowly gets up. It couldn't be. _Could it?_ Had their older brother finally returned home? Her heart fills with hope with every step she takes toward the door. of course it was Neji! Who else could it be? Her brother had finally managed to escape from wherever he had been held captive, and had made it home just in time for Christmas. He was fine. Everything would be okay now.

She opens the door, nearly bubbling with excitement.

"Hello, Miss Hinata." Lee says quietly. He and Tenten, Neji's best friends, stand side by side at the door.

Hinata visibly deflates. "L-lee. Tenten. H-hello." If the two standing in the doorway had noticed her reaction to their presence, then didn't say anything. A cold, ice laced breeze blows in through the door, and Hinata turns away to cover her face and mask her tears. Tenten moves past them both, walking briskly to the large tree in the parlor. She kneels down next to Hanabi, not bothering to greet the girl. Hanabi stares at her as she pulls a small, wrapped gift from the pocket of her coat and sets it beneath the tree.

Hinata covers her mouth with her hand, touched beyond words at the gesture. She blinks and wipes her tears away, not wanting to cry in front of her brother's friends.

Tenten looks to the small girl sitting on the ground next to her. Without warning, she pulls the younger girl into her lap, and hugs her tightly. Hanabi chokes on a sob and grabs onto the brunette immediately.

Lee watches solemnly from the doorway, his hands in his pockets. Hinata looks back at him, realizing for the first time that there were people other than her close family who were affected by Neji's disappearance as well.

"W-would you like to s-stay for a little while?" Hinata asks, blushing as she stares at the carpet. "It's s-so quiet around here..."

Lee looks over at Tenten. Hanabi has her face buried in Tenten's coat, clutching the other girl tightly. Tenten strokes her hair gently.

"I guess we can stay for a little while." The brunette says, her eyes on the floor.

"Yay!" Hanabi shouts, taking the older girl by the hand and dragging her towards the kitchen. "We can make cookies, just like me and Neji used to do!"

Hinata watches the two go, noticing that this is the most excited she has seen her sister in weeks. Perhaps some socializing would do some good. She turns to the taller male at her side.

"L-lee. Would you l-like to help me d-decorate the tree?"

Lee smiles-- not his usual display of shiny teeth and sparkles, but a gentle slide of his lips.

"I would love to, Miss Hinata."


	8. salt

i don't own naruto.

hey everyone! i hope you enjoy this chapter. also, if you are interested in my other stories, there is a poll up in my bio so you can vote for what you think i should work on next!

thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

warnings for this chapter: oocness as per usual, slight incest, unbeta'd, etc

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

_**Friday, February 26**_

**3:00PM**

- o -**  
**

Sasuke's cell phone and the school bell ring at the same time.

The Uchiha frowns, rising from his seat and throwing his bookbag over his shoulder while trying to fish his phone from his pocket. Who would be calling him at this time? Everyone he can think of is currently in school with him.

He manages to pull out his phone just as he reaches the hallway. The caller ID says 'Home'. Sasuke looks at it uncertainly.

_Please be mom. Please be mom. Please be mom… _"Hello?"

"Sasuke." It is his father.

_Fuck. _"Yes?"

"Come straight home today." The older man's tone leaves no room for argument.

_Click._

Sasuke doesn't know how four simple words can upset him so much.

He stares at his cell phone, trying to ignore the sense of dread that is pooling in his stomach. He finds himself in the middle of the hallway, students streaming out of classrooms around him, talking excitedly. None of them notice him.

It had been a couple of months since Sasuke's failed attempt to restart the search for his former friend. Sasuke had been avoiding his father ever since. Making excuses as to why he was staying away from home has become easier ever since he and Naruto had become friends again. His mother was glad that he was socializing with people again, and encouraged him to go out and stop spending so much time in his room.

However, despite all of the time he is now spending away from home, Sasuke still can't forget about his encounter with his father. For one straight week after the incident, he had lain awake at night, thinking back over his childhood, trying to figure out which clues he had missed that would have told him of his father's true nature earlier on. He had always known that his father liked Itachi more than he liked him; but he hadn't realized _how_ much Fugaku liked Itachi until that one fateful night three years ago.

A group of student push past the Uchiha, and he scowls at their backs as they run away.

He couldn't disobey the order, of course. Fugaku was ten times more cruel and unpredictable when he was angry, and purposely ignoring his orders was a guaranteed way to awaken the older Uchiha's rage. Maybe he could purposely get detention? But no, then he would have to deal with his mother as well as his father.

"Saaaasuke!"

A loud, obnoxious voice pulls him from his thoughts. Sasuke turns around and groans when he sees an excited blond running towards him.

He hasn't seen Naruto all day, and he is somewhat grateful for that fact. Although they are now friends, Sasuke had found that there were some times he couldn't stand to be around the blond. Today is one of those days. For some reason Sasuke had been moody and irritable all day, not wanting to be around anyone and unable to shake a feeling of foreboding from his mind.

Now he knows why.

"Sasuke! Hey!" Naruto catches up to him just as Sasuke reaches his locker.

It is too late to run away. Sasuke enters the combination into his lock, silently hoping that Naruto only wants to ask him about an assignment or something. "What?"

"Where've you been all day? I didn't see you at lunch."

Sasuke sucks his teeth as he grabs a few books from his locker. "I had to go to the library."

"Oh. Cool." Naruto is practically shaking with excitement. "Guess what?"

"What." Sasuke says, in the most monotone voice he can manage. He shoves the books into his bag.

"I told you to _guess_!"

"I don't feel like guessing." Sasuke slams his locker shut and starts off down the hallway.

"Dickhead!" Naruto says, running to catch up with him once more. "I'll just tell you, then."

"Whatever." Sasuke grunts, glancing down at his phone to check the time. It is 3:07PM. He can be home by 3:30PM if he gets on the bus within the next three minutes.

"I had sex with Sakura!" The blond exclaims, slinging an arm around the Uchiha's shoulders.

Out of all the things Sasuke had expected the blond to say, that wasn't it. He freezes, dropping his phone in surprise.

_What?_

Naruto's reflexes kick in, and he reaches downs and snatches it from the air before it could hit the ground. "Woah, careful, Sasuke!"

He hands the phone back to the Uchiha, who accepts it automatically, still not moving.

"Anyway, did you hear what I said? I had sex with--"

"I heard what you said, moron." Sasuke is trying to figure out how he feels about this. There is a feeling of heaviness settling deep in his chest, an emotion that he can't recognize.

_Am I... jealous?_

... .But that made no sense. What could he be jealous of? Was it because Naruto had lost his virginity before him? Or maybe because Sakura was supposed to have a crush on him, instead of Naruto...?

"Oh, good!" Naruto grins. "So? Aren't you impressed?"

Sasuke pulls away from the blond, not wanting to be anywhere near the blond at the moment. "I didn't even know you were going out with her." He mutters.

"I'm not! She came over to my house to help me study for my geometry test last night. My parents were out to dinner and--"

"I don't care." Sasuke interrupts. He slides his phone open to look through his text messages, needing a distraction.

"What?" Naruto shouts, outraged. "You're supposed to ask me about all of the juicy details and stuff!"

"I don't want to hear the 'juicy details'." Sasuke mutters, avoiding the other boy's gaze. He wishes that the blond would just leave already. He can't get rid of the envy he is feeling, and thinking about where it's source was is making his head hurt.

"Why noooooot?" the blonde whines. "Come on! I would wanna know if you had hooked up with some girl!"

"Well, that's not going to happen." Sasuke quickens his pace, hoping to reach the front of the school and lose Naruto in the crowds of students waiting to be picked up outside. Unfortunately, the other boy doubles his pace, so he ends up in front of the darker haired male, stopping him in his tracks.

"Why not?" He asks again, disappointed at his friend's lack of enthusiasm.

Sasuke sighs. He had been wondering when this was going to come up. "Because I don't like girls."

"WHAT?" Naruto yells, shocked. "Really? What?" He repeats dumbly, staring at his friend.

"... Moron. Get out of my way, I have to go home." Sasuke moves past the blond.

"Wait!" Naruto grabs the strap of Sasuke's bookbag, pulling him back towards him.

"What?" The darker haired male hisses.

"So... you like guys, then?" Naruto says, his dumbfounded look being replaced by one that is unreadable.

"More than I like girls." Sasuke crosses his arms.

Naruto clears his throat. "Have you ever... uh... done anything with a boy?"

Sasuke grunts. "I don't have time for this." There was no way he would tell Naruto about the time he kissed Neji beneath a picnic table in the schoolyard when they were little, or the time two months ago when Suigetsu gave him a handjob while they were high at the other boy's house.

"You totally have!" Naruto exclaims. "Come on, tell me! You're supposed to be my friend!"

"No. Drop it." Sasuke makes a futile effort to escape the blond's grip and run to the school doors. Naruto tugs him back.

"Saaaaaaasuke... .!"

"I am really_ not in the mood_, Naruto." The Uchiha glares.

Naruto releases the Uchiha's bookbag with a frown. "Why are you being such a little bitch today?"

Sasuke's eye twitches. "Because I don't give a _fuck _about you and Sakura, idiot." He snaps.

Naruto scowls. "Whatever, asshole! You're just mad because everyone is having sex but you."

Sasuke glares at him, wishing that he had just ran away when he first saw the other boy. "At least I'm not fucking some ugly pink-haired slut."

The words escape his lips before he can stop them. Sasuke knows as soon as he sees Naruto's bright blue eyes narrow that it had been the worst possible thing he could have said. Naruto had been in love with Sakura forever, and Sasuke had only been back in his life for a couple of months. There is no competition between the two of them-- Naruto wouldn't tolerate anyone talking badly about the girl, not even if it was Sasuke. The Uchiha honestly has nothing against Sakura; he knows that she is smart and most likely not a slut (but then again, he had been away from Konoha for so long, and isn't really involved in her personal life... it was hard to call it).

In a flash, Sasuke is pushed up against the row of lockers. "Take that back!" Naruto growls, both hands fisted in the front of Sasuke's shirt.

Instead of apologizing to his friend, Sasuke just grows angrier. Naruto had no right being mad at him. Sasuke wouldn't have said what he said if Naruto had just left him alone in the first place.

So, instead of apologizing, Sasuke tips his head back and gives Naruto the haughtiest look he can manage. "Whatever, idiot. You know I'm right; she'd open her legs for me in a second if I told her to."

Naruto's fist crashes across his face, knocking his head to the side, his cheek hitting the cold metal of the lockers behind him. Sasuke gasps in pain, but his lips nearly twitch up into a smile. He hopes that his face would bruise; maybe then his father wouldn't want to look at him anymore.

The blond releases him and Sasuke drops the the floor, bringing a hand up to rub at his injured cheek. He runs his tongue along the inside of his mouth, making sure he still has all of his teeth intact. Naruto glares at him from above, then turns and storms away when it becomes obvious that Sasuke isn't going to hit him back. The Uchiha sits up and watches him leave.

His cell phone rings once more. Sasuke doesn't even have to look at the caller ID to know who it is.

Slowly, he gathers his things together and pulls himself up off of the ground.

There is no sense in being late to his own funeral.

* * *

**3:30PM**

- o -**  
**

"Mmm... "

"Lift your hips, baby." Gaara murmurs huskily into the boy's ear. Neji does, subtly arching his back. He is lying belly down on the soft silk sheets of their hotel room bed, his upper body propped up by his elbows. Neji's skin is still dewy from the shower he has just taken, and his hair is in a damp pile atop his head.

Gaara kisses a warm trail down his spine, making the boy shiver in delight. He reaches the slight dimple at the base of his spine and slides his tongue out, lapping at the boy's soft skin. He then trails his tongue lower, gliding it between Neji's cheeks to dip into his entrance.

"Ah!" Neji gasps, his fingers clenching in the soft material of the pillow.

"You like that?"

Neji moans as the older male flicks his tongue against his hole. "...God, yes... "

The wet press of Gaara's tongue against his most hidden area makes Neji shiver and sweat, and soon his pleasured cries fill the room. Gaara enjoys hearing the boy's mewls of delight, but he is eager to get to the main event.

Gaara pulls back and gently bites down on one of the fleshy globes of Neji's rear, eliciting a whimper from the younger male. He spreads Neji's thighs as wide as they can go, urging his lover to arch his ass up towards him.

The older male takes care of preparation quickly, and soon he is positioned over the boy, pushing in slowly. Neji moans, tilting his head back as his fingers grip the pillow his arms are resting upon. The redhead's arms are braced on either side of Neji's head, carefully placed so that none of the boy's silky hair is trapped under his palms. He starts thrusting, his movements deep and controlled.

Neji gasps and moans with every inward and outward slide of Gaara's cock. He pushes his hips back to meet his boyfriend's thrusts, his eyes shut tight at the pleasure.

"Oh, Gaara... harder, do it harder, _please_--"

The older male grunts in response, sweat dripping from his hairline and onto Neji's pristine back as he drives his length in with more force. The younger of the two keens loudly, gently grinding his erection into the silk sheets.

All too soon, Neji is crying out in rapture as his orgasm overtakes him. As soon as his muscles reflexively clench around Gaara's cock, the redhead finds himself going over the edge as well, hissing a sharp obscenity through his teeth. He shudders, carefully lowering his body to press flush against Neji's as he empties himself inside the boy.

"... auhnn... " Neji murmurs incoherently, settling into the afterglow.

"Mm." Gaara responds, lazily trails kisses across the younger male's shoulders. Once his breathing evens out, he pulls out slowly, then rolls off of Neji and onto his back on the bed.

Neji stays on his stomach, his head pillowed in his arms and his eyes half lidded as he gazes at his boyfriend. He knows that in a couple of minutes Gaara will get out of the bed, take a shower and get dressed, then leave to go out drinking. It had been like this every night for the past couple of weeks. Gaara never made Neji 'work' during the days they spent in hotels, but it seems as if lately, he is reluctant to stick around. It doesn't make Neji upset, honestly, but it certainly bothers him a bit. Sure, it was better to be alone in a hotel than in a motel, but if he could have a choice, he'd pick spending time with Gaara over either of those options.

Sure enough, Gaara sits up and leaves the bed a minute later, stretching as he makes his way over to the bathroom. Neji rolls over and watches him go, then closes his eyes. He dozes off for about twenty minutes, and only wakes up when he feels the bed dip from Gaara's weight. He opens his eyes and sits up, watching as Gaara puts on a shirt.

"What are you going to do tonight?" He asks the older male casually.

Gaara shrugs. "Find a bar. Play cards." He answers, as expected.

"Can we do somewhere different tonight?"

"Like what?" The redhead says, standing and yanking his jeans up over his boxers.

"I want to go out somewhere. Like, to a... nightclub?" Neji says the first place that comes into his mind.

"Uh..." Gaara towel dries his hair absentmindedly. That doesn't seem like a terrible idea. Honestly, the last time Gaara had been in a nightclub was the night he had met Neji. "...yeah. Sure thing, babe."

Neji's face lights up. Finally, he would be able to spend some quality time with his boyfriend.

* * *

**3:45PM**

- o -**  
**

Sasuke remembers the last time he had a private conversation with his father. He can recall the feeling of unease that had possessed him when he had stood in front of Fugaku's office. And now, staring at the huge oak doors once more, he realizes that he is twice as nervous as he was two months ago.

He raises a shaky hand and knocks. Fugaku grants him entrance immediately, and Sasuke pushes open the doors and slips through, then leans back against them.

His father is standing in front of the picture window behind his desk, his back to Sasuke. He is gazing out at the sprawling Uchiha grounds, always meticulously groomed, even in the winter.

"Father... "

"Come here." The elder Uchiha's tone left no room for argument.

Sasuke approaches the desk cautiously. It seems to be messier than usual, with papers and files strewn about. Sasuke lightly places his fingertips on the rich mahogany, awaiting instructions but still prepared to bolt if his father gets too close to him.

Fugaku offers no instructions. He continues to stare out the window, his hands clasped together behind his back.

The silence stretches out between them.

Sasuke grows increasingly nervous with each passing second.

At last, Fugaku speaks, in a voice so soft and hoarse that it is almost impossible to hear him.

"Your brother is dead."

…

"…Wh--" Sasuke stares. "What…?"

"The papers. On the desk."

Fugaku gestures to the open envelope lying atop a stack of papers. Sasuke grabs it, eyes wide. He yanks the papers from the envelope.

They are Itachi's records. His mugshots are attached to the front of the paper, his fifteen year old self gazing evenly at the camera, and then straight ahead for the side profile picture. Beneath that are a few papers stapled together, filled with information about the eldest Uchiha son, including where he was born, the history of his schooling, a couple of psychological evaluations, and an extensive summary of the incident that took place three years ago. At the very top of all of this information is a crimson word pressed harshly into the paper by a rubber stamp: **DECEASED**.

"No..." Sasuke whispers, his hands shaking as he stares at the paper.

It is true that he hasn't seen his brother in three years. But he had always thought that Itachi would one day come back to him. He had never given up hope that one day his older brother would be released, and things could go back to the way they were before the whole mess started. He knows that it is naive; and that if Itachi were released, then he'd want nothing to do with the Uchiha name. But Sasuke misses his brother more than anything, and, in his head, he has always carried around the notion that there would be a happy ending for the both of him. The option of death had never even crossed his mind.

Fugaku turns to face him. His eyes settle on the discoloration on Sasuke's cheek, but he doesn't say anything about it. "You are now my only son." He murmurs.

Sasuke drops to his knees in front of the desk, the papers crumpled up in his hand and tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "N-… no, Oh, God,_ Itachi_…" he cries, his entire body shaking.

Fugaku visibly stiffens. This is the first time since before the incident that Itachi's name had been spoken aloud in the Uchiha Manor. Whenever someone was speaking about Itachi, it was always just "Sasuke's brother" or simply "him".

Fugaku moves to the front of the desk in three quick steps. He grabs Sasuke by the upper arm and hoists him up off of the floor. "Stop it." He hisses. "This is no way for an Uchiha to act."

Sasuke wrenches his arm free and whirls around to glare at his father. "_You_ did this to him!" He shouts, tears blurring his vision. "You killed him, you made him sick… y-you…" He trails off, burying his face in his hands as he sobs.

Sasuke's venerability makes Fugaku's breath catch. He watches his son cry, the raw display of emotion in those beautiful features stirring up feelings that he had been dormant for so long.

_He's so young_...

He steps closer to his son. Sasuke weakly tries to push him away, but he is exhausted from grief and can do little to stop the older man. Fugaku takes his son's face in his hands, tilting it upwards so he can clearly see the watery black eyes. "Sasuke..."

Sasuke keeps his eyes open, tears streaming down his face as his father presses his lips to his own.

* * *

**9:03PM**

- o -**  
**

Gaara leads Neji through the crowds of people and over to the bar. The nightclub that the brunet had picked out was characteristically overflowing with people, but the two had somehow managed to get inside fairly quickly. Now, Neji takes a seat on the stool next to his boyfriend. The redhead orders two shots for himself and a martini for Neji.

Neji accepts his drink and then turns to his boyfriend with a smile. "So I was thinking…" He starts, then trails off when he sees the look on Gaara's face.

The redhead is turned around in his stool, surveying the dance floor with a strange look in his eye. If Neji didn't know any better, he would have label it 'predatorily', but he knows that there would be no reason for Gaara to be looking like that, especially with Neji right next to him.

Right?

"Baby."

"Huh?" Neji asks, daintily taking a sip of his drink.

Gaara doesn't bother meeting the brunet's gaze. "I'm gonna go out there for a little while, all right?"

Neji frowns. This definitely wasn't the first time Gaara had left him alone in a strange place, but it was the first time he had done it in a nightclub or bar setting. There are so many people here; Neji knows that either one of them could get lost in a heartbeat, which becomes twice as frightening of a notion when Neji realizes that they have no way of keeping in contact with each other.

Not to mention the fact that they had just gotten here. Neji had wanted to be with Gaara for at least a little while at the club.

"But I... I wanted to be here with you, not by myself... "

Gaara downs his second shot. "I'll be back in ten minutes. You can take care of yourself for that long, right?"

Neji crosses his arms over his chest. "I guess..."

"Great." Neji blinks, and Gaara is gone.

Neji sighs and turns back to the bartender, hoping to strike up a conversation, but finds that she has gone off to serve other customers. Scowling, he takes another sip of his drink.

_Come on, Neji,_ He tells himself. _You don't need Gaara around to have a good time. _

But apparently he does, because fifteen minutes later he is still there, staring glumly at the bottom of his empty glass.

A man slides onto the stool next to him. At first, Neji thinks it is Gaara. He turns to greet the redhead with a smile, but then he sees that it is not his boyfriend after all. Instead it is a man who is fairly young, most likely a college student. Neji can tell from the expression on his face that he only has one thing on his mind.

"You look like you could use a refill." The man says with a grin.

Neji almost groans aloud. _This is supposed to be my day off._

"Um... Thanks, but I--"

"Bartender!" The guy yells. "Get me another drink for the pretty lady over here."

Neji sighs. This isn't the first time he had been mistaken for a girl. _Maybe I should get a haircut,_ he thinks, then dismisses the thought. Gaara likes his hair long, and Neji is pretty fond of the length himself.

Despite his reservations about the newcomer, Neji accepts his second drink from the bartender when she brings it. There is no point in being at the bar if he isn't drinking, and since Gaara isn't there to buy them for him, he might as well get them from someone else.

"What's your name?" The man asks. "Mine's Idate."

"Neji." The Hyuuga has no problem with giving out his real name; he had discovered weeks ago that the Hyuuga family wasn't as popular everywhere else as they were in Konoha.

"So... you come here often?"

Neji rolls his eyes. "No."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes."

Idate is not deterred. "Where is he?"

"Around."

Neji purposely keeps his answers short and his voice deep, but the man doesn't catch the hint. He moves closer to Neji, placing a hand on his knee.

"He should be here with you."

Neji casually glances back over his shoulder. Where _was_ Gaara? It had been way more than ten minutes... as a matter of fact, it was probably nearing thirty. His lips twist into another frown. He had asked Gaara to take him here so they could spend time together, not for Gaara to ditch him at the bar while he was off doing... whatever it was that he was doing.

"He'll be back soon." He says, trying and failing to convince himself of this fact.

The minutes go by, and Neji continues to allow the other male to buy him drinks. Idate moves progressively closer and his touches grow bolder. The night progresses into a whirlwind of beverages, lights, loud music, and borderline intimate touches. Gaara doesn't come back and the alcohol lures Neji into a false sense of comfort.

Before he knows it, Neji finds himself pressed up again a wall near the back of the club.

He is dizzy, and his vision is blurry. The room appears to be spinning. Neji isn't really sure what's going on, beside the fact that there's a hard brick wall behind him and a hot tongue on his neck. Neji moans lightly, trying to figure out how he got there. He distantly wonders when Gaara had gotten back, because he hadn't noticed the older male at all.

As his vision clears, he realizes that the man who is currently grinding his hips against him_ isn't _his boyfriend. His hair is dark instead of bright red, and his arms are bare and tattoo-free.

Neji feels sick.

Having sex with men for money was fine, but this was just a random hookup. He was _cheating_ on his boyfriend.

_Oh, God..._

The combination of alcohol and his rising guilt is stirring up something unwanted in his stomach. The illness rises, churning the sick feeling in his abdomen and sending and urgent message to his brain: _Get out of here. Now._

When Idate raises his head to kiss him, Neji pushes him him away harshly.

"I have to g-go."

He hurries away from the stunned man, his dizziness and blurred vision making it difficult to navigate through the crowds of people. He isn't really sure where he is going, but he knows he just needs to get away from _there_. He tries looking around for Gaara, but it is too dark and there are too many bodies pressed up against each other for Neji to even recognize a hint of his boyfriend. His stomach churns as he starts to grow frantic, shoving past individuals as he tries to find Gaara, an escape, _anything_.

His eyes land on a familiar sign on a door to his left. He blinks to clear his vision, then almost sighs in relief as he realizes what the door led to.

He stumbles into the bathroom. There is only one other person in there, standing in front of the sink counter. He looks up in surprise when the long-haired male makes his entrance, and hastily shoves something into his pocket as Neji runs for the nearest stall, his body moving on instinct now.

As soon as he sees the toilet bowl, Neji feels everything rush up to his throat. He drops to his knees and braces his hands on the rim of the bowl, barely having enough time to lean forward before he starts vomiting.

The person behind him curses softly, but Neji doesn't hear him over the sound of his own heartbeat in his ears. He continues to hurl, tears beading at the corners of his tightly closed eyes.

He pauses and coughs a bit, before a fresh wave of physical illness comes streaming from his stomach.

"Here, let me help." Neji can feel soft hands gently pulling his hair back, away from the porcelain bowl and the wave of vomit coming from his mouth. He wants to turn around and thank the other male, but he cannot stop his body from forcing out the contents of his stomach.

Another man walks into the bathroom, takes one look at the two, then walks back out.

At last, the illness starts to subside. The stranger is rubbing soothing circles on his back with one hand, while his other hand holds Neji's hair high up and away from his face. The Hyuuga dry heaves a couple of times, his arms shaking and threatening to give out.

"Are you done?" The other male asks quietly.

Neji nods and burps softly. "I-- I think so..."

The shorter-haired male helps Neji stand upright, then guides him over to the sinks. He turns on the taps and cups his hands under the stream of water, allowing them to fill up before he offers them to Neji.

The Hyuuga blinks. The other male smiles. "Drink."

_Oh._ Neji lowers his head and drinks the clear water from the stranger's hands. He swishes it around in his mouth, trying to clean it out. The other male points to the sink, and Neji spits it out. They repeat the process about four times, until Neji holds out his hand.

"Stop…" He gurgles, wiping the excess water from his lips with the back of his hand. "Who... who are you?"

"My name is Sai." The other male responds with a smile. "What's yours?"

"Neji."

Now that his vision is cleared, Neji takes the time out to really get a good look at the person who had been helping him. He is young, probably not the same age as him, but close to it. He is a bit broader than Neji, but can still be classified as thin. He has short, dark hair. He was wearing a black belly shirt and black skinny jeans tucked into trendy black high top sneakers.

His expression is strange. He is smiling, but there is something... disingenuous about it.

"Thanks for your... your help." The bathroom is insanely bright but Neji makes no movement to leave. He actually feels comforted by the lights, despite the fact that they are making his head pound.

He leans against the counter as the room starts to spin again. A combination of bright lights, green stalls, his own reflection in the mirror, and the pale boy in front of him tilts in front of his vision. He grips the counter and closes his eyes tightly.

"It was no problem. Are you feeling better?"

Neji sniffs and re-opens his eyes once the feeling of vertigo has passed. "…No. "

His stomach certainly feels better after being emptied of all of it's contents, but Neji still feels horrible. He doesn't want to go back out into the darkened club. He wants to be in a bed with Gaara's arms wrapped around him.

_This was a really bad idea_. A sob rises up in his chest, but he chokes it back. He pushes his hair from his eyes, then presses the heel of his hand against his temple as he sinks down onto the bathroom floor. A sober Neji would be horrified at the fact that he was willingly seated on the floor of a bathroom.

Sai raises an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Neji sniffs. "I'm g-gonna sit here an' wait 'til Gaara finds me."

Sai takes a seat next to the quivering boy, figuring that he might as well stay and listen to his sob story. It is obvious that the long haired boy isn't planning on leaving anytime soon, and Sai can't return to his previous activities until he does. "Who's Gaara?" He asks.

"He's myyyyy... my boyfriend. We're in love. He loves me. Even though he won't say it to my... _hic_... face. I know he does."

"How do you know?"

Neji tips over to the side, and Sai has to pull him back upright. "Because _I_ love _him_." Neji says, as if the answer is painfully obvious.

"Okay…" Sai starts, somewhat amusedly. "Listen, just because you love him, that doesn't mean--"

"Th-- that's not all!" Neji interrupts loudly. "He has to l-love me. I... _hic_... I do stuff for him."

Sai raises an eyebrow. "What kind of things?"

"_**Whatever**_ he wants me to do." The boy's response was not as sexual as Sai had expected; instead, Neji had answered with a voice thick with utmost devotion, to the point where he sounded a bit obsessive.

"Like _what_?" Sai presses.

Neji gives him a clouded, sidelong look, unable to focus on the other male's eyes. "You can't tell anyone this." He whispers, clutching at Sai's wrist.

The shorter haired male rolls his eyes. "I promise."

"O-kay." Neji leans in, cupping Sai's ear.

"I... uh... I have s-sex with guys." He whispers. "To get money for Gaara. An' me. Both of us. For our house."

If Neji were in his right mind, he would have never told this stranger what he considered to be his deepest, darkest secret. But the alcohol has loosened his tongue, and he is eager to talk to the first guy who didn't seem to want to have sex with him. In Neji's mind, Sai seems like a person who is actually willing to listen to him, which is something that Gaara doesn't even do half of the time.

Something sharpens in Sai's coal black eyes. "So... you're a hooker?"

Neji blinks slowly as he pulls away. "Nono. ... Yes. Yes, that's what I am. A dirty, disgusting--"

He cuts himself off as his shoulders start shaking. He sobs dryly, burying his face in his hands.

Sai raises a hand and places it on Neji's shoulder, rubbing it softly. The boy's drunkenness was fairly amusing when he was talking about himself, but now it is becoming pretty pathetic. Sai is honestly starting to feel empathic towards the other boy, which was pretty rare for him.

"You can cry, if you want to." Sai says carefully. "I once read in a book that crying is a good way to release emotions."

Neji hiccups. "No, I… G-Gaara doesn't like it when I cry."

The other boy shrugs. "Is he here?"

"N-no."

"So let it out. I don't mind." He tugs at Neji's shoulder a bit.

Neji follows the motion and buries his face into the other male's chest. Sai blinks in surprise, but gently rubs his back. After a couple more dry sobs, wetness comes to his eyes for the first time in months. With it comes words, little snippets of his story, until Neji is crying and talking and barely making any sense at all.

"And-- now I don't even know what I w-want anymore, God, cause, cause like, Gaara means _everything_ to me, he's the only thing I have, b-but it's not... it's not... " He gulps in huge pocketfuls of air. "... It's not _enough_! I can't k-keep living like this, I'm so tired of sleeping in a different bed every night an' driving all day an' junk food an' I don't even _know_ where Gaara is now, because he left me at the bar but I know I shouldn't be m-mad at him 'cause I was the one who wanted to come here in... in the first place, so it's my fault that he left me, an' it's my fault that he doesn't l-love me an' that we don't have a house an'… an'... Oh, God, I want to go _HOME_!"

The door to the bathroom opens every now and then, but the men who enter the bathroom to do their business just ignore the two of them. which is fine, Neither boy notices the entrances.

After keeping everything bottled up for such a long time, it now pours out of Neji like a flood. He doesn't know where to start or where to finish.

He is sobbing now, his face pressed into Sai's shirt, salty tears soaking through the fabric. "I cuh-- can't do this... I m--miss my family, Hinata an' ha-Hanabi an' daddy an' I miss Tenten and Lee... I miss going to school an' do... doing homework an'... oh, God, I have no _friends_...! I'm just... I can't--"

His sobs wrack his body. Sai takes all of this in stride. He's been in similar situations before.

"Then go home." He says quietly.

"I CAN'T!" Neji wails, his eyes shut tightly as his fists his hands in Sai's shirt. "I w-want to be with Gaara, I love him so much b-but I want a home, too, I want a place to live an' I want an actual bedroom an' a kitchen an' friends an'… " He trails off, no longer able to voice his desires.

Neji wipes at his eyes with his sleeve, then glances up at the other boy, and is shocked to see that he is wearing the same odd smile as before.

"Wh- what-- is this _funny_ to you?" Appalled, Neji pulls away abruptly.

"No, no!" Sai puts his hands up defensively, the small smile still on his lips. "Forgive me. It's just... I believe I can help you."

"... You c-can?" Wide ivory eyes stare at the other boy in disbelief, tears leaking slowly from the corners.

"Yes. I know a place where you can stay for a while." Sai reaches up and pulls a couple of paper towels from the dispenser above his head, then hands them to the distressed boy seated next to him. "As a matter of fact, I work there."

The metaphorical storm cloud that had been over Neji's head for the last twenty minutes seems to have vanished instantly. Sai watches amusedly as the boy's facial expression transforms from miserable to ecstatic in a matter of seconds.

"Really?" Neji asks eagerly, still slightly disoriented and nearly falling forward onto Sai in his excitement.

Sai pushes him back amusedly. "Mm-hm. It's--"

The door to the bathroom opens once more. The man entering looks over at the two in surprise. "Neji?"

Said male looks up, tear tracks drying on his face.

"Gaara." Neji breathes. He grabs the paper towels from Sai's hands and uses them to quickly scrub the tears from his face.

"Hey. I was looking for you." Gaara pauses. His hair is messy and his shirt is darkened with sweat. "Uh... you okay?"

Neji pulls away from Sai and scrambles to get up. He launches himself at his boyfriend and wraps his arms around his waist. Gaara, who has learned to expect Neji's random tackles, retains his balance and absentmindedly pats Neji on the head as his eyes narrow at the pale boy still seated casually on the ground.

Neji sways unsteadily as he leans up and stage-whispers into Gaara's ear. "I'm kinda drrrrrrun-k."

"I can tell."

Neji laughs and attaches himself to Gaara's side.

Sai stands up and dusts himself off, then approaches the two. had listened to the boy sob his devotion to his boyfriend, but seeing the amount of love he had for the other male in real life was a completely different story. The whole room had practically lit up when Neji had seen the older male, in a way that was nearly comical.

Neji tears his attention away from the older male long enough to make introductions. "Gaara, this is Sai."

"It's nice to meet you." Sai extends his hand, his lips still upturned in a smile.

Gaara eyes his hand suspiciously. "Yeah. You too."

"Sai?"

"Yes?"

Neji links his fingers with Gaara's. "That place you were telling me about before... what is it?"

The pale boy's smile widens.

"It's a brothel."


	9. daze part 1

i don't own naruto.

i may or may not rewrite this chapter. it's kind of... sloppy. this is actually part one of chapter nine. i realized that it was going on 11,000 words and decided to just split it in half. the second half should be up next week or so! :)

warnings for this chapter: prostitution, crossdressing, open relationships, unbeta'd

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

_**Saturday, February 27**_

**10:42AM**

- o -

The obnoxious beeps of the bedside alarm clock stirs the dark haired male from his slumber. He yawns, then reaches over and presses the snooze button, hoping to silence the noise before it wakes his bedmate.

Unfortunately, he has no such luck. The male lying next to him lifts his head from the pillow and nudges his shoulder. "Don't even think about going back to sleep." He murmurs huskily.

The first male groans, raking a hand through his hair. "...Five more minutes." He mutters.

"No." His companion responds, and in a flash the covers are pulled off of the shorter hair male's body.

Sai shivers as the warmth is stolen from him. However, the heat from his companion's body quickly replaces the warm bedding. The other male flicks his long hair over his shoulder before lowering himself to lay flush against the other boy.

They share a sweet good morning kiss. The younger of the two attempts to deepen it, but the older will not allow it, pulling back slowly before nipping teasingly at the other male's bottom lip.

"We don't have time for that." He says with a small smile. "You have to help that new boy get settled in today, remember?"

"I remember." Sai says offhandedly, then tries to pull the other male down for another kiss. He is, once again, denied, as the other male gets off of him and out of the bed entirely.

"Good. You'd better get in the shower, then."

"I will." Sai makes no move to get up.

"Come on. You also have to help me move my clothes back into my room."

Sai lifts his head ever so slightly. "Why?"

Haku smiles happily, a gentle upturn of his lips that is accentuated by the joyful look in his eyes. "Zabuza's coming back today."

Sai's heart clenches. "Wonderful." He says emotionlessly into his pillow. "How long is he staying for this time?"

"He told me a couple of weeks... but you know how it is."

Sai rolls over onto his side, away from the longer haired male."Maybe you should keep a couple of your things here, just in case."

"So you can smell my clothes when I'm not around? Yeah, right. Pervert." Haku smiles, pulling on a t-shirt that could have belonged to either of them at this point. When Sai doesn't respond, he turns around to face the other male.

"Sai...? Come on, I was just joking."

"Oh for the love of... WAKE UP!" Haku shouts at the paler boy, shaking him viciously.

* * *

**11:01AM**

**- o -**

"So tell me about the kid you recruited." Haku says, peering into the mirror as he ties his hair up in a neat bun, leaving some strands in the front loose to frame his face. "What's he like?"

"I'm not too sure." Sai calls over the roar of the shower. "We didn't spend enough together for me to judge his personality."

Haku picks up Sai's toothbrush. "Okay. Well, is he cute?"

"Yes."

"Smart?" The longer haired boy squeezes out a thick line of toothpaste onto the bristles.

"I don't know."

"How old is he?"

"My age."

Haku begins brushing his teeth carefully, pausing only to utter, "Sounds kind of boring."

"He's got a boyfriend." Sai reveals in a lower voice as he turns off the shower water and reaches for his towel. "The kid's completely obsessed with him, if that's of any interest to you."

"Huh." Haku spits out the minty froth into the sink, somehow managing to make the act look dainty instead of crude. "That should be good for a few laughs."

Sai hums in response, toweling off his hair."New recruits never really last that long, do they?" He comments idly.

"I give him a week before he's gone."

"Want to bet on it?"

"Alright." Haku says, exiting the bathroom. "I think he'll be gone in a week. You?"

"Three days." Sai wraps the towel around his waist and follows Haku from the bathroom. "What do I get if I win?"

"What do you want?" Haku asks, throwing a sultry smirk over his shoulder at the other boy.

"To go back to sleep." Sai admits honestly, choosing to ignore the bait as he makes his way over to his closet. Haku rolls his eyes at the other boy's back.

"Well, you better not." Haku picks up a t-shirt from the floor and pulls it on over his head, then walls over to the door. "I'm going to stop by later to meet him, okay? Make sure he's up to the brothel's standards and all that."

"Yeah. Later."

"Bye."

* * *

**2:14PM**

- o -

"This," Sai says as he flicks up the light switch. "Is your room."

Neji steps inside, ivory eyes wide as he looks around.

The room is of average size. There is a large bed in the center, with comfortable looking navy blue sheets. Above the headboard of the bed there is a large, black and white abstract painting. There is a dresser included in the room, as well as a closet and a sturdy looking desk in the corner. It is mostly impersonal, like many of the motel rooms they have stayed in, but the fact that it is their room makes it wholly different from those places.

"Do you like it?" Sai asks, arms crossed as he leans against the doorframe.

"Yes." Neji breathes, hands clasped together.

He whirls around, looking to Gaara for his opinion. The redhead shrugs as he sets down their shared suitcase. "S'nice."

"Good. Go ahead and unpack, then meet me downstairs in about two hours. We have to go over your new... position." Sai gives a short wave, then exits down the hallway.

Neji stands in the center of the room for a little while longer, taking everything in.

When they had pulled up in front of the place that very morning, Neji had honestly thought that they were in front of the wrong address. He had never seen a brothel before i his life, but he had expected to be small, cramped, and dirty. So he had been understandably surprised when Gaara had pulled up to the gates of a large, stately looking mansion that was not unlike his old home.

"Is this it?" Neji had asked hesitantly, sure that there had been some sort of mistake.

"That's what it says here." Gaara had responded, holding up the paper towel scrap that Sai had written the address on the previous night.

"...Wow."

Sai had given the two of them a history lesson on the way up to their room. Apparently, the mansion had once belonged to a rich old family, who had a substantial amount of control of the politics of the city. They had manipulated the local government for so long, that eventually the people in the city had grown tired of it. One night, they formed a mob and marched up to the mansion, then set fire to it. The family had managed to escape, and they fled the city to some remote location. The burnt out mansion had been abandoned for years, until a man who no one had ever seen before came and purchased it five years ago. He had fixed it up himself, and opened up the brothel which was still thriving today. No one knew where he had gotten the money from, and no one particularly cared, because the new 'company' attracted plenty of tourism and revenue towards their city.

"Of course, there are other brothels around here. But none of them even come close to this one."

"But... if everyone knows about this place... aren't you afraid that the police might come and shut it down?" Neji had inquired.

Sai had given him a strange look. "No. Prostitution is legal in Kiri."

"...Oh."

Now, Neji cracks open their suitcase and starts to unpack right away, determined to personalize their space as much as possible.

"Gaara... you're okay with this, right? You don't mind staying here?"

"No. As long as you're happy, Neji."

**As long as he's not complaining, you mean.**

**

* * *

**

**4:08PM**

- o -

"The brothel is made up of four floors and a basement. On the first floor, there are ten different rooms, all labeled by color, where we do our job. On the second floor there is a kitchen, dining room, living room, and a game room. The third floor is where all of the rooms for the employees are, and the entire fourth floor is where the brothel owner and his partner live."

Neji nods, clasping his hands together nervously. He is in Sai's room, seated on the other boy's bed. The room is understandably larger than Neji and Gaara's, with large windows that face one of the many rivers running through the town. It is somewhat cluttered; there are canvases stacked up in a corner, and various paintings and drawings decorate the walls.

Sai is directly across from him, straddling the back of his desk chair. "Since you're new here, you'll probably only work about twenty-five hours a week. That will end up changing eventually, unless you decide to leave, or get fired." He smiles.

"Okay..."

"Breakfast is served at 7:30AM; Lunch is at noon and dinner is served at 8:00PM. The kitchen is always open and fully stocked, for those of us who have shifts ending around 4AM."

Neji nods, wondering if he should be writing all of this down.

"You'll also have to go through a couple of days of training, just so we can see how good you are."

"What do you mean by-" Neji is interrupted by the sound of his door being pushed open. He curiously turns to the intrusion, then very nearly gasps.

The boy entering is one of the most beautiful people Neji has ever seen. His glossy dark hair isn't as long as Neji's, but it shimmers in the light and falls in a way that looks absolutely perfect. He has large brown eyes framed by thick lashes, smooth, porcelain skin, and full, soft pink lips.

"This is Haku." Sai introduces, waving the newcomer over.

"It's nice to meet you." Haku says, smiling kindly. His smile, unlike Sai's, is completely genuine.

"I-" Neji can't even form a proper sentence. "...Um..."

Sai snorts, leaning back against the edge of his desk. "You always have to make an entrance, don't you?"

"Shush." Haku tells Sai, only sparing him a quick glance before turning his attention to the other boy. "You're Neji, right?"

Neji can only nod, blushing lightly.

"Is your boyfriend working here too?"

The Hyuuga is pulled from his daze by a slow, sick feeling in his stomach. He is immediately repulsed by the thought of Gaara sleeping with other men or women, even if it is for money.

"N-no. He's-"

"You should ask him if he wants a job."

"I-" Neji starts, but Sai interrupts him, his attention directed towards Haku.

"I thought we didn't have any more of those positions available?"

"One just opened up. Raiga quit last night."

"Oh. Hm." Sai shrugs. Haku turns back to Neji.

"Ask your boyfriend if he wants to be a bodyguard, okay?"

Neji blinks. A bodyguard...?

"I..." Neji swallows, finally finding his voice. "I'm sure he'll say yes."

"Great." Haku smiles again, making Neji blush. "Tell him to stop by the main office tomorrow so we can get him fitted for a suit."

"Okay."

"Good. Now, can I ask you a couple of questions?"

Neji nods.

"How long have you been a hooker?"

Neji winces. He didn't think that the questions Haku wanted ask him would be quite so... personal. "Um... A couple of months, I think."

"Okay. Are you any good at it?"

"Uh.. I don't know." Neji doesn't understand how anyone could be bad at being a prostitute. All you had to do was lie there and take it, right?

"I know a way we can find out." Sai remarks casually. Haku rolls his eyes.

"How?" Neji asks innocently, brushing his hair back.

Sai trails his hand suggestively down Neji's thigh. "Well… you could let me fuck you. That's an easy way to find out."

Neji blushes instantly, pushing himself away from Sai as Haku laughs. "I… um..."

"Relax, Neji. He was joking."

"...No I wasn't."

* * *

_**Sunday, February 28**_

**12:47PM**

- o -

"What do you do when your boyfriend fucks you?"

Neji blushes hard at the crude question, delivered in Sai's usual blunt manner. His head is down, dark strand of hair covering his eyes. "We… Gaara doesn't do that to me."

The three of them are in the brothel's living room. There is a large TV against the wall, flanked by wooden cabinets on either side. Neji is seated on the wide leather couch, his knees pressed together properly and his hands folded neatly in his lap. Sai is standing in front of him, his hands on his hips. Haku is curled up on the couch, a respectable distance away from Neji, filing his nails.

Haku shoots Sai a look. The shorter-haired man sighs, then rephrases the question. "What do you do when you and your boyfriend make love?"

"I don't know!"

"This is a simple way we can get to the bottom of this…" Sai reminds him, completely serious.

"No!"

Haku groans, tilting his head back so it hits the wall behind him. "This is going to take forever."

"Okay," Sai tries again. "What about times when you really want sex? How do you get your boyfriend to give it to you?"

Neji gives him a blank look.

Haku rolls his eyes.

"Okay. It's time for plan B." Sai turns and goes over to one of the cabinets next to the TV. He opens it up and begins digging through the stacks of DVDS.

Neji tilts his head to the side. "I though we were training."

"We are." Sai replies. "We're watching instructional videos."

Haku laughs. "Is that what they call it nowadays?"

Before Neji has a chance to ask what sort of instructional videos, Sai pulls back from the cabinet with three DVDS cradled in his arms. He quickly inserts one into the DVD player.

Neji's mouth drops open once he see the title image come up on the screen. "There is no way you expect me to-"

"Shut up." Sai says abruptly, then selects a scene and presses 'play'.

The screen is instantly filled with a hardcore pornographic scene, one that has Neji's face turning bright red almost immediately. His hands fly to cover his mouth in shock, and as much as he wants to look away, he can't stop staring at the screen. Sai is watching the TV with an almost bored expression on his face, and Haku's gaze flicks back and forth between the screen and Neji, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Only a few seconds of the tape feels like hours to Neji. He is terrified that someone will walk in at any minute. Neji had never watched anything pornographic in his life; the closest thing that could compare to it was when Lee and Tenten dragged him to see R-rated movies that contained the inevitable sex scene between the hero and his love interest. Those scenes had always made him uncomfortable, and his two best friends had always teased him when he would look away or cover his eyes.

Finally, Sai pauses the tape. "Okay. Now describe to me what you saw."

Neji can barely get the words out. "It's... two people… having sex."

"Two people…?" Sai prompts.

"...A man and a woman."

"Good. Do you know why I'm showing you this?"

Neji shakes his head frantically, mortified beyond belief.

"Well," Sai begins. "Typically, a female porn star makes twice as much noise compared to a male porn star, either gay or straight. This applies to prostitution as well. Basically, the more noise you make, the more money you make."

He presses the play button on the remote just as Neji deems it safe enough to look up. The Hyuuga shrieks as the bodies on the screen start moving once more.

"This is disgusting!" Neji is finally able to cover his eyes. "Why do I have to go through this? Why can't I just... do what I did before?"

"Well..." Sai starts with a disapproving click of his tongue. "Since you are so unwilling to share your technique with me, we have to start from scratch."

"But why do I even need training?" The Hyuuga asks exasperatedly, wringing his hands.

"Because you work here now." Sai informs him. "And if we have an employee with poor performance, it reflects badly on the rest of the brothel."

"Being a prostitute isn't only about sex." The paler boy continues, lowering the volume slightly but still not turning the DVD player off. "In fact, very little of it is about sex. It's about selling an image. Men don't want to have sex with Haku. They want have sex with a whore who looks like Haku."

Haku shrugs. "It's true."

"The same goes for you." Sai goes on. "Men don't want to know about your life. They don't want to know about your problems or your insecurities. They are paying for you to focus on them. So it is your job to make them feel like they're the sexiest, most amazing lover you've ever had, in order to make more money for the brothel."

He turns the DVD player off entirely. "Do you understand?"

Neji nods, his face still bright red. "Yes."

"Good." Sai sits down next to the Hyuuga and places a hand on his knee, still completely serious. "Now let's see if you've learned anything."

Neji shrieks, skittering away from him like a frightened animal.

Haku snorts, covering his mouth. "Leave him alone, Sai."

He turns to the younger male. "You officially start work tomorrow. You need to be in the Scarlet Room at 10:00AM. Someone will be there to help you with your... 'uniform' as well as makeup. After that... well, I think you'll know what to do."

Neji is unable to meet his gaze. "Okay. May I go now?"

"Sure." Haku waves him off. "Later."

Neji all but flees from the room.

Sai swings his leg up over on to the couch, and falls down on to his back, his arms folded behind his head. "You're not going to tell him that we'll be monitoring him?"

"Are you kidding? That would only make things worse."

* * *

_**Monday, March 1**_

**3:31PM  
**

- o -

To Sai and Haku's great surprise, Neji makes a decent amount of money during his first official day at the brothel. Newcomers to the brothel, or men that didn't have any particular preference, were immediately drawn to his younger, fresher appearance.

Sai and Haku had both taken the day off to watch him in the surveillance room.

"Look at him." Sai says, his lip curling. "He has no... style. No finesse. He's just lying there. He obviously didn't listen to a thing I said yesterday."

"Well, Mr. Yakushi doesn't seem to mind." Haku comments, leaning closer to the screen. "I mean, he does have that whole 'virginal schoolboy' thing going on."

Sai makes a face. "Ugh."

"He definitely has potential."

"I guess."

Haku crosses his arms, smirking slightly. "With some more training, he could probably be as good as you."

The paler boy snorts. "Please."

The other boy laughs lightly. "He's going to be mortified when he sees what we have in store for him."

Sai smiles, a genuine curve of his lips, at the thought. "Mm. I can't wait."

* * *

_**Saturday, March 6**_

**4:22PM**

- o -

"Today," Haku announces as he leads Neji into Sai's room, "We are going to work on your appearance."

"What?" Neji asks as he is shoved in front of the floor length triple fold-out mirror. Three different 'Nejis' look back at him. "What's wrong with how I look?"

"Nothing- well, maybe we can do something about your hair. But I'm talking about the way you dress." Haku stands behind behind him, his arms crossed as his eyes travel over Neji's body.

"What are you wearing?" The other boy continues.

Neji looks down at himself. "A t-shirt and sweatpants."

"Right. Do you feel sexy?"

Neji doesn't know how to respond. "…I feel comfortable."

"That's not what I asked you." Haku chides in a singsong voice. "Confidence comes from how you perceive yourself. If you think you look comfortable, than everyone else will think you look comfortable. Similarly, if you think you look sexy, then everyone else will think you are sexy. Get it?"

The Hyuuga shakes his head. "No."

Haku sighs. "You dress for yourself. That isn't going to work here- at least for the time being.

I've been watching your performances, and they're kind of... awkward, to be honest."

"You've been watching me?" Neji asks, horrified.

"Yes." Haku says impatiently. "You're not comfortable with the outfits you have to wear, which looks bad. So today, we're going to find something that is both sexy and comfortable for you."

Neji is still staring at him. Haku frowns. "What?"

"You watch me when I'm-"

"Get over it." Haku says dismissively. "You've forgotten that first and foremost, this is a business. I know for a fact that you don't have anything remotely attractive in your wardrobe-"

"So you've been watching me get dressed, too?"

Haku ignores him. "You're going to be trying on a bunch of outfits, graciously provided by Sai over there." He gestures to the other boy, who is on his knees, digging out items of clothing from his closet and throwing them onto a pile on the bed.

Neji pales. He has been around Sai long enough to know that the boy wears nothing but tight-fitting belly shirts.

Sure enough, the first outfit he is forced to try on is a tight black sleeveless turtleneck that leaves his stomach completely exposed. Accompanying the shirt is a pair of tight denim jeans that hang low on his hips. Neji stares at himself in the mirror. The outfit just… doesn't look right on him. He knows that Sai, and Haku as well, would be able to completely pull off the outfit; but to Neji, it just looks silly on him.

"So…?" Warm breath gusts across his ear as Sai moves to stand behind him. "How do you feel?"

"Ridiculous."

"Well, you look really hot." Sai's hands caress Neji's bare abdomen. Neji pushes him away.

The second outfit isn't much better. The shirt is long-sleeved, and not as tight as the first one, but all of his stomach is still visible. Haku had also forced him into a pair of short shorts, which Neji had at first mistaken for underwear.

"How do you feel?" Haku prods, sitting cross-legged on the bed behind Neji.

"Like a prostitute." Neji responds flatly.

"Good! That means we're getting closer."

On and on it goes, with each outfit being worse than the previous one. Neji rejects them all, stubbornly refusing to feel at home in Sai's clothing. Eventually the pile on the bed dwindles to nothing.

"Well… we could try one last outfit." A dark grin spreads across Sai's face at the thought. Haku sees his expression, and responds with a grin of his own.

Neji groans aloud. "Can't I just-"

"No." The other two males say simultaneously. Neji sighs, struggling to pull off one of Sai's insanely tight shirts. Oh well. At least it can't be any worse than everything else I've tried on today.

Sai returns to the closet. He reaches for the very back corner, pulling out an outfit on a hanger that Neji hadn't seen before.

Neji's eyes widen. Apparently, he had been wrong. "NO. Under no circumstances will I-"

"It's part of your training, Neji." Sai reminds him, grabbing one of Neji's arms.

"I promise no will see you like this." Haku adds, grabbing the other.

Ten minutes later, Neji is standing in front of the mirror, scarcely able to believe that he had been persuaded into wearing a french maid uniform. It is sleeveless, with a tight black bodice that hugs his torso. The skirt is nearly indecently short, and reveals about three inches of his thighs before the lacy tops of white stockings are reached.

Sai is standing behind him, fluffing out the skirts of the dress. Haku is off to Neji's right, brushing something powdery onto Neji's face that makes him feel like sneezing.

Neji can hardly believe that he is actually standing here, allowing Sai and Haku to make him up like some sort of life-sized doll. The fact that the two males around him keep snickering does nothing to ease his humiliation.

"I have a feeling that you guys are only doing this to embarrass me." He says miserably, reaching up to rub at his eye. Haku swats his hand away.

"Now why would we want to do that?" Haku responds innocently. "We're just trying to help you."

Haku takes his chin in hand and sharply turns his head to the left so he apply more make-up, and Neji catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror that he had been trying so hard to avoid. His blush increases so much that Haku blinks and steps back, putting down the powdered rouge that he no longer has to use on the younger boy.

Neji can hardly recognize himself in the outfit. The dress and stockings do an excellent job of disguising his bony hips and skinny legs. The make-up on his face softens his sharp, aristocratic features into something delicate and youthful. His hair is now being teased up around his face by Sai. Neji stares at his reflection for so long that he is almost able to separate himself from the person in the mirror.

Neji is pulled from his thoughts when the door to Sai's room opens abruptly.

"Hey, have you guys seen-"

Neji turns to the doorway, blushing fiercely as soon as he hears his boyfriend's voice. Gaara is standing there, frozen with his hand still on the doorknob, as his eyes travels up and down Neji's body.

"…_Fuck_." Gaara breathes. Neji shivers at the older male's hungry gaze.

"Gaara-"

In three quick steps, Gaara reaches the Hyuuga. He simultaneously claims the boy's lips in a hungry kiss and lifts him up in his arms, then carries him over to Sai's desk and drops him onto it, his hands sliding up the boy's thighs as they tighten around his waist. Neji gasps and winds his arms around Gaara's neck.

Haku tugs on Sai's sleeve. "Come on. Let's give them some privacy."

Sai blinks. "But I want to watch."

Haku rolls his eyes and drags Sai out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

In that moment, as Gaara's teeth scrape over his collarbone and his hand crawls up the inside of his skirt, Neji realizes that what Sai and Haku think is sexy doesn't matter- only what Gaara does.

* * *

_**Saturday, March 13**_

**9:36AM**

- o -

Neji is surprised when Sai stops by his room and hands him two white envelopes.

"What's this?" He asks, taking the one with his name printed on it and tearing it open.

"Your paycheck."

"Really?" Neji hurriedly pulls the rectangle of paper from the envelope. His eyes grow wide when he sees how much the amount is. "You mean... all this is for me?"

"Yes." Sai confirms. "Technically it's only half of what you actually earned, because the brothel takes 50% of your earnings for things like food and rent. But yes, all that is for you."

"Wow." Neji glances behind him at Gaara, who is still fast asleep, sprawled across their bed. In the past, all the money he earned had automatically gone to Gaara. Neji hadn't minded; he knew that they needed it for motel rooms and meals and such. He honestly can't remember the last time he had purchased something that was solely for him, even though he had gone shopping a couple times a week when he had been living in Konoha.

He turns back to Sai. "What... what should I spend it on?"

The other male shrugs, placing his hands in his pockets. "Whatever you want. Go to the mall or something."

Neji blinks. "There's a mall here?"

Sai gives him a look. "Of course there is." He pauses. "When was the last time you left the brothel?"

Neji smiles sheepishly. "I haven't left since I got here."

The paler boy shakes his head.

"Can you take me?" Neji asks, quickly growing excited.

The other boy looks at him for a long time. Finally, his sticks his hands in his pockets and turns to walk down the hall. "Sure, why not? I'll go get Haku."

* * *

**11:40PM**

- o -

"How about this one?"

"No!" Neji glares at the other boy. "For the last time, I'm not buying any skirts, Sai!"

Sai waves the miniskirt around. "But look how well cross dressing worked out for you!"

"I don't care! Put it back!" Neji looks around fiercely, hoping no one would notice him standing in the women's department of the store, despite the fact that no one in the city knows who he is anyway.

"Are we done here?" Haku comments dryly.

Sai pouts as he returns the skirt to its shelf. "I guess. Ooh, but wait-"

Haku grabs his arm and drags him from the store. Neji follows along behind the two of them sighing in relief. He carries two shopping bags, on in each hand, filled with purchases made at the stores they had visited beforehand. He had bought a decent amount of clothes, and had even allowed Sai and Haku to influence some of his decisions, but had drawn the line at female clothing.

Neji finds himself smiling, just for the sake of it. Going shopping at the mall seems like something utterly... normal. It was fun and casual, and reminded him of his life at home just a little bit.

"Where are we going to go next?" Neji asks happily. The mall is understandably crowded for a Saturday afternoon, and there are many stores than they haven't visited yet. Neji was looking forward to buying new shoes, and maybe a couple of CDs, as well as some posters for his room and a couple of new books.

Haku spares him a backwards glance. "Are you hungry?" He asks, letting go of Sai, who casts a longing look back at the store they were just in.

"A little. But I want to keep shopping." Neji says eagerly, shifting the bags in his hands.

Haku laughs, an actual mirthful chuckle that has Neji's smile growing wider. "Okay, if you want."

"We should go to the tattoo parlor." Sai chimes in. "I've been meaning to get one for a while."

Haku scoffs. "You have not."

"How would you know?"

"Where are you going to get it?" Neji asks curiously.

Sai winks. "On my tongue." He says, sticking said muscle out and wiggling it.

Neji blushes. "R-really?"

"Don't listen to him, he's full of it."

"Am not." Sai throws an arm around Neji's shoulder. "You should get one too. Or at least a nipple piercing, I've wanted one for ages."

"You are such a-" Haku starts, but then cuts himself off, his eyes narrowing across the courtyard.

"What is it?" Neji asks curiously, craning his neck to see what it is that the older male is looking at.

Sai turns his head to see what his companions are looking at. The corners of his lips turn up into a smile when his gaze falls on two scantily clad brown haired girls waiting on line for the smoothie cart. "Ooh, someone's in trouble." He hums, then follows Haku, who has started walking briskly toward the women.

"Wait!" Neji dashes after him.

Haku stalks up to the two women, stopping just behind them. He taps one of them on the shoulder just as Sai and Neji catch up with him. "May I have a word, ladies?"

They both turn around at the same time, annoyed at the interruption to their conversation. "What do you- Oh." The longer haired one stops herself, eyes widening. "Haku."

"Shit." The other girl curses.

Sai leans down to whisper in Neji's ear. "The one with the shorter hair is Matsuri. Her friend is Sari. They both work at the brothel."

"Oooh."

"Do you mind telling me _why_ you two are going shopping on company time?" Haku demands, crossing his arms. "As I recall, both of you work on weekends."

"We- uh-" Sari stutters.

Matsuri steps forward. "Don't blame her, It was my fault. I made her come with me."

"Right. And I suppose Sari can't make decisions on her own? You can't be as dumb as you look." He snaps at the longer haired girl.

Sari bristles in response. She looks as if she wants to say something, but then tightly presses her lips together instead. Both girls are naturally taller than Haku, but with the added height of their four inch heels, they practically tower over him. It is amusing to watch them be scolded by the shorter boy.

Haku continues, a cold look in his eyes. "I'm docking both of your pay for the next three weeks."

"What?" Both girls look shocked. People look at the odd trio as they pass by, but whether their attention is drawn by the altercation or the girls' scandalous clothing is unclear.

"But you can't-" Matsuri starts.

"I can't _what_, Matsuri?" Haku snaps. "Please, enlighten me."

"Nothing." The girl says sullenly.

"That's what I thought." Haku glares at the both of them. "Both of you get back to the brothel. _Now_."

The two girls scowl deeply, but turn and leave anyway, casting dirty looks over their shoulders at the three boys behind them. Sai smiles and gives them a cheerful wave.

Neji stares at Haku's back. When the other boy turns back around, a sunny smile plastered on his face, Neji flinches.

"I'm sorry, what were we talking about again?"

Neji shrinks back. "Um..."

"You didn't have to be so hard on them." Sai comments idly, sticking his hands in his pockets and leading them away from the smoothie stand. Neji silently follows behind the two.

"Yes, I did. They've been skipping out on hours for about a month now. I've just never been able to catch them, until today."

"Ah. What's wrong's wrong with you?" Sai asks Neji, turning slightly to look at the other boy.

"Nothing!" Neji squeaks, nearly dropping one of his bags in surprise. Sai laughs and turns back to Haku.

"I think you scared him."

The older male smiles gently. "Sorry, Neji. I don't usually get that upset."

The sincerity of the older boy's smile makes Neji relax slightly. "So… are you, like… my boss?" He asks cautiously, wondering if he had ever said anything in Haku's presence that would warrant a scolding like the two girls had just received.

"Technically. But only when Zabuza's not around."

"His boyfriend owns the brothel." Sai tells Neji.

"...Oh."

Sai punches him in the arm. "Snap out of it. You're no fun when you're like this."

Haku moves to Neji's other side, linking elbows with the younger male. "Don't worry. I wouldn't talk to you like that. You're too cute." He teases, reaching over and pinching Neji's cheek. "Besides, I hate those bitches anyway."

Neji turns to look at Haku with wide eyes. This was the first time he had ever heard Haku talk badly about another person. "W-why?"

"Don't get him started." Sai mutters on Neji's right. "Basically, they both want to fuck Zabuza. He won't do it because he is too loyal~" At this word he throws a glance towards the oldest boy on the right, who is wearing a small frown on his face, "to Haku. But that doesn't stop them from trying."

"Why don't you just fire them?" Neji asks Haku.

"Because then they'd be out on the street. And Zabuza wouldn't allow that. He doesn't want anyone to have to go through what we went through." The older boy says quietly.

Before Neji can ask him exactly what it was that they had gone through, Sai stops abruptly. "Oh, look, the tattoo parlor!"

Haku groans. "Sai..."

"Come on, let's go!"

* * *

_**Sunday, March 21**_

**3:07PM**

- o -

Neji groans as he shifts his weight to the other foot. He has been standing outside of Sai's room for about ten minutes now, knocking continuously. Gaara is working, so he had been alone for a good part of the morning. He had been in his room for a few hours after coming back up from breakfast, bored out of his mind. Finally, he had decided to pay a visit to Sai and Haku. Walking the hallway to Sai's room has become familiar to him, so he ended up there first, assuming that Haku would be with him anyway.

However, it seems as if there is no one inside. _Maybe the both went out?_

Neji is about to turn to leave when he hears the sound of movement from behind the door.

"Sai?" He calls, knocking once more.

He hears a muffled grunt from behind the door. Neji knocks again, this time a little louder. "Sai!"

He hears grumbling from within, and then the sound of someone stomping across the ground. Sai flings open the door.

"What do you want." He says monotonously, not exactly angry, but the closest to it that Neji has ever seen.

Neji steps back. "Um... It's three in the afternoon. Are you just getting out of bed?"

"Yes."

"Why? Where's Haku?" Neji asks, just realizing that the other male, who is usually attached at the hip with Sai, is nowhere to be found.

Sai scoffs, rubbing his eyes. "He's with his boyfriend. Zabuza's leaving to go on some business trip or something today, and he wanted to spend some time with him."

"Oh." With the fact that the older man owns the brothel, combined with the fact that he is the boyfriend of someone who Neji spends a decent amount of time with, makes it very odd that Neji has never seen him before. Curiosity rises within him, and he decides to rectify this matter right away.

"Where are they?" He asks Sai.

The other boy squints at him. "What's it to you?"

"I want to see what Zabuza looks like." Neji says honestly, putting his hands behind his back.

"Don't waste your time. He's hideous." Sai tells him, then tries to shut the door. Neji slips inside his room before he can get it fully closed. He crosses his arms, staring straight at the older boy.

Sai rolls his eyes. "Fine. They're in the garden, probably by the cherry blossom trees. Can you leave me alone now?"

"I don't know where that is." Neji says, unmoved..

"That's not my problem."

"Don't be such a baby. You're not doing anything worthwhile anyway."

* * *

**3:26PM**

- o -

Zabuza and Haku are together on a bench located under a large, already flowering tree. Haku's head is resting on Zabuza's lap, his eyes closed with a blissful smile on his lips. Zabuza is stroking his hair back away from his face, gazing at the other male as if he is the most beautiful person in the world. It makes Neji feel slightly uncomfortable. He feels as if he in intruding on something private. He glances back at the other boy standing a short distances behind him. Sai is leaning against a tree, examining his nails. Neji gets up and approaches him.

"You done?" Sai asks. Neji nods.

They both turn and start towards the brothel.

"He's not that bad looking." Neji remarks as they enter through the basement door.

Sai crosses his arms. "He's an asshole."

"He seems like a decent guy." Neji shrugs.

"He probably has a small penis."

Neji looks up at him, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Do you… _not_ like Haku's boyfriend, or something?"

Sai gives him a bland look. "What gives you that idea?"

"Never mind." Neji sighs.


	10. daze part 2

i don't own naruto.

i am soo sorry for the wait you guys. i've been having a lot of trouble writing lately. :/

i hope every likes this chapter, although it is mostly filler. Next chapter, however... I think a lot of you might hate me for it.

thank you again to everyone who reviewed last chapter! and a special congratulations to** iilove** for being Petroleum's 100th reviewer! 3

warnings for this chapter: prostitution, open relationships, drug use.

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

_**Friday, April 9th**_

**11:02PM**

- o -

"I... don't want to get lost."

"I know."

Sai's hand closes around Neji's wrist. Neji takes one last look back at the darkened streets before he is lead into the nearly pitch black interior of the nightclub, with Haku trailing behind the both of them.

Neji can remember quite clearly the last time he was in one of these establishments. This time, he promises himself that he will not allow himself to get separated from his companions.

It is technically still part of his training, but Neji has a feeling that the two of them were just looking for an excuse to go out for the night. Or Sai was, anyway. He still seemed to be upset from that day that he and Neji had witnessed Haku and Zabuza under the tree. Haku had recognized the kind of mood Sai was in as soon as the other boy had approached the two of them that afternoon, so of course he had said yes right away to Sai's suggestion.

The trio quickly finds an unoccupied table and settles into it. Sai casually waves his hand, and within seconds a tray of drinks is set down on the table.

"Why are we here?" Neji asks, leaning into Sai so he can be heard. This nightclub, while different from the one that Neji had first met Sai in, is still just as loud and just as crowded.

"We decided that it would be in your best interest to watch the art of seduction first hand." Sai responds.

Neji doesn't believe this for a second, but he just nods and takes a drink from the tray. "I take it that you're the one who's going to be demonstrating it?" He asks. He knows that flirting with strangers in a bar isn't really Haku's style.

"Mmhm." Sai glances at Haku out of the corner of his eye, then frowns when he sees that the other boy is deeply engrossed in texting someone, most likely Zabuza. He crosses his arms and turns his attention to the other club goers seated in their area.

"Okay. Him." Sai nudges the boy to his left and points to a man seated at a table that was only three away from theirs. There is a skinny, long haired girl seated next to him. The two are talking happily, and the man's hand is resting on top of the girl's.

Neji tilts his head to the side. "What? He's with his girlfriend."

"And…?" The other boy shrugs.

"…He's straight."

Sai laughs, then tosses back a shot of whiskey. Neji scratches his head.

"So…you're just going to go up there and talk to him in front of her?"

Haku puts his phone away. "No. He'll wait until she leaves."

It turns out that they don't have to wait long. The trio watches as the girl says something to her boyfriend, then gets up from the table, grabbing her purse and kissing him quickly before heading off in the direction of the ladies room.

Sai smirks. He counts down from ten using his fingers, then gets up from the table. He makes his way over to the table, slow and catlike, his hips swaying slightly to the beat of the loud, pulsing music.

"Pay attention." Haku says in his ear.

Neji frowns. "I can't hear anything."

"You don't have to. Just watch."

So Neji does. He watches as Sai casually approaches the man, then takes a seat after a few words. As the conversation continues, Sai presses closer to the older male, speaking softly, his eyes half-lidded as he talks. When it looks as if the man isn't going to push him away, he trails a hand down his arm, softly caressing the back of the man's hand before wrapping his fingers around his drink. The man seems entranced as Sai brings the bottle to his lips, then swirls his tongue around the rim, his eyes fixed on the other man's. Neji blushes lightly, but doesn't look away; he is slowly becoming accustomed to the other boy's lascivious behavior.

The two figures exchange soft, flirtatious words. In a matter of minutes, both males are rising from their seats. Sai takes the stranger's wrist, similar to the way he had held Neji's, and leads him off to the side, presumably to the bathroom or an exit. The man's girlfriend's jacket is left abandoned on the chair.

Haku leans over. "Were you paying attention?'

"Yes. He was..." Neji trails off, unsure of how to describe to Haku what he saw. "Um... he was very _creative_ with the bottle."

"Mm-hm. What else?"

Neji thinks harder, pushing past his discomfort to focus on Sai's actions in a purely reflection fashion. "Sai touched him a lot. And he was talking the entire time."

"What do you think Sai was telling him?"

"He was probably… complimenting him? Telling him things that Sai knows he would want to hear. How attractive he is, and things that Sai would let him do to him..."

Haku smiles slightly. "Good."

It seems as if Neji has passed the impromptu pop quiz. The two fall into a casual silence, easily ignored by the background noise of the club. Haku seems to be content with just sipping his drink and observing the other club goers, checking the messages on his phone from time to time. Neji is happy as long as he's not being left alone.

Although Haku isn't doing much beside sitting down, he still attracts an incredible amount of attention from the people around him. The eyes of men and women passing by are automatically drawn to the older boy. Neji feels a tiny bit self-conscious.

He halts the lull in their conversation by asking, "He's not really going to have sex with him, is he?"

Haku shrugs. "Why wouldn't he? Sai loves sex."

"Oh."

Haku stirs what remains of his drink with his straw. The ice cubes clink together at the bottom of the glass. "Do you want to leave?"

Neji looks up. "Without Sai?"

"Sure, he doesn't expect us to wait for him." Haku smiles. "Let's go home."

* * *

**11:50PM**

- o -

The night air is humid and slightly foggy. It envelopes the two in an airy cocoon as they walk through it, headed in the direction of the brothel. Haku walks slowly, so Neji does the same. He looks around as he does, and is pleased to realize that he is actually able to recognize a lot of the places they are passing.

He has only been in Kiri for about a month, but he is quickly becoming familiar with the city. While he does spend most of his time with Sai and Haku, occasionally he'll go out for a walk on his own, just to explore. He is not afraid of going out by himself; the brothel is located in the nicest part of the city, after all. His current neighborhood is a lot safer than the areas surrounding the motels he and Gaara used to stay in.

"Neji..."

"Hm?" The Hyuuga looks over at the older male.

"...Tell me about yourself." Haku says sincerely.

Neji blinks as they round a corner. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." Haku says simply, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Everything?" Neji asks, stopping short. Haku stops next to him.

"Everything." The other boy repeats, staring straight at the younger male.

Neji lowers his head. "I… I don't know where to start." He says softly.

Smiling, Haku reaches out and takes Neji's hand. He tugs gently, encouraging the other boy to start walking again.

"From the beginning, of course."

So Neji does. He tells him about how he met a redheaded man in a nightclub like the one they were just in nine months ago. He tells him about how he had spent the next two days in a nervous daze, waiting for the moment when he would get a call from the man. He tells him about the rumors he had heard about Gaara form his friends and his neighbors. He tells him about the night in the pool. He tells him about the first time his father had ever gotten angry enough to scream at him. He tells him about the second and last time his father had gotten angry enough to scream at him. He tells him about the night in the driveway. He tells him about the gas stations, the motel rooms, the diners and the bars and the money and the men. His voice is quivering softly by the time he finishes his story.

Neji finishes just as they reach the brothel. Haku is silent as he pushes open the front door and nods a greeting to one of the night guards. Neji doesn't know if he should say anything, so he just follows along wordlessly.

Haku leads him to a door just past the last of the working rooms. Neji is surprised to learn that, when unlocked, the door leads to a small vestibule, about the size of a walk in closet, and that there is an elevator in the back. Haku presses a button, and they wait, the silence only being interrupted by a soft ding when the elevator arrives. They take the elevator up to the fourth floor.

Neji can't stop himself from gasping as the doors open.

A stunning penthouse is revealed to his eyes. It is lavishly decorated and fully furnished, with a gleaming kitchen to the right and a flowery outdoor deck through glass doors to the left. Directly in front of Neji is the back of a long black leather couch situated in front of a TV that is at least six feet in length and five feet in height. Off to the side, there is a winding staircase leading up to a loft that presumable holds a bedroom and a bathroom.

Neji doesn't realize that he is frozen in place until Haku gently nudges him forward. The Hyuuga steps into the apartment, still enchanted by the greatest display of wealth he has seen since he left home.

Haku gestures for him to sit down on the couch, so he does. The older male disappears into the kitchen, allowing Neji to continue to stare around the apartment with wide eyes. He had never really thought about it until now, but it makes sense that Haku wouldn't live in the same type of room that he and Sai lived in. But why did he spend so much time in Sai's room if he had a place like this to go back to? If Neji were Haku, he would never leave his apartment.

Haku returns shortly, carrying two short glasses filled with ice and a bottle of champagne. He motions for Neji to follow him over to the terrace.

The view from the deck is beautiful. Neji goes over to the railing and gazes up at the moon while Haku fills the glasses. The stars are incredibly clear, and they twinkle in the sky, their beauty reflected in the dark water of the river that runs behind the mansion. Looking straight ahead, Neji can see nearly all of the city from his position.

When he turns back around, he sees that Haku is seated and studying him over his drink.

"You remind me of myself." Haku says at last.

Neji sits down across from the older boy. He picks up the glass of champagne that Haku gestures to. "How so?"

"I used to be in the same position as you. My parents died when I was very young, and I was placed in the care of a foster family that abused me. I ran away when I was six, and met Zabuza. We've been together ever since, and for a long time we were homeless as well, just traveling from place to place without any goals or plans besides being with each other."

Homeless? Neji had never considered himself as such.

"Eventually I figured out that the only thing I had that was worth anything was my body. Zabuza wouldn't let me at first; but it became harder and harder to get by, and eventually he gave in. I was eleven at the time."

Neji's eyes widen. Haku doesn't give him a chance to comment.

"That's how it went, for a while. We would drift around from place to place, sometimes sleeping in parks or on buses if business was bad. Zabuza only allowed me to prostitute myself when we had absolutely no money." He pauses, taking a sip from his glass.

"Things changed, one day. Zabuza had came to me and told me that he had found a job for himself, and that I wouldn't have to sell myself anymore. He made a huge amount of money in an extremely short time, so we moved back to our hometown. After a year, Zabuza purchased this place and turned it into a brothel."

"What… what does Zabuza do?" Neji asks gently, curiosity overcoming his unwillingness to interrupt the older boy's story. He can't think of a single job that would pay enough for two homeless people to purchase a mansion within the span of a year.

"I expect you'll find out soon enough." Haku laughs softly. "Zabuza and I were lucky. If he hadn't found work… we would probably still be on the streets right now.

"I love Zabuza with all of my heart. He is my entire world… except maybe for Sai. I can't imagine living without him."

Neji nods. "That's how I feel about Gaara."

Haku gives him a sad sort of look. "I thought as much. Does he love you?"

"I..." Neji stutters. "I mean... not _yet_, but..."

"You're young... impressionable." Haku says, fixing his gaze onto Neji. "Gaara hasn't always been in your life, and I'm sorry to tell you this, but there's a good chance that he won't be in the future."

Neji is shocked. Haku had just told him of his similar back story, but now turns around and disregards Neji's own? What does he mean by _Gaara won't be in his future_? The entire point of running away from Konoha was to build a future for the two of them.

"B-but… what about you and your boyfriend?"

"I've been with Zabuza for nearly my whole life. He's raised me from when I was a child. I have no one else. But you… you have a family, don't you? And friends… a home..."

Neji tightly clasps his hands together in his lap. So what if he had those things? Having a family meant next to nothing if he couldn't be with Gaara. His friends, Konoha… yes, he misses them, but he is trying to move on for the sake of his relationship.

"W-what are you trying to say?" He asks quietly.

Haku sighs, his voice taking a mournful tone. "Just… if I had had the opportunity, I wouldn't have chosen this life for myself."

Neji tears his gaze away from Haku's. He doesn't want to talk about him and Gaara anymore. He turns away from the other boy, looking out at the cityscape once more.

The other boy makes no attempt to get Neji's attention. He looks out at the city as well, seemingly lost in thought. They stay like this for a while, neither of them speaking or moving.

Finally, Neji thinks of something to say, that hopefully won't lead the conversation back to him.

"Haku…" He starts, unable to bear the silence any longer.

"Yes?"

"I think… I think that Sai likes you."

"Mm. You're right." Haku smiles sadly. "Sai is in love with me."

"Do you love him?"

"Of course I do." The older boy says without hesitation.

"Then why aren't you guys... together?"

Haku looks down at his hands."Because, as cruel as this sounds, I love Zabuza more." He says, with just a hint of emotion in his voice. He stands up and walks over to the railing, leaning against it just as Neji had done earlier.

Another long silence follows. Haku stares out at the cityscape as the wind blows his hair across his face, and Neji watches him.

When he finally speaks, his voice is so soft that Neji almost didn't hear him. "I hope the day never comes when I have to chose between them."

Neji doesn't know what to say. Haku's hands tighten on the railing briefly, before he draws himself from his thoughts.

"Neji." The way Haku says his name makes Neji think that Haku isn't finished with discussing Neji's life. He is right.

"I don't mean to disregard your feelings just because you're so young. If you truly believe that you love Gaara and that you want to be with him for the rest of your life, then I have no right to challenge you."

Haku pauses.

"But Neji... just say the word, and I can have you back home by tomorrow morning."

Neji stares at the older boy. He doesn't doubt that Haku has that ability, not for one minute. But why would he want to do something like that for Neji? They had only known each other or a short while.

Maybe Haku _wanted_ Neji to leave? But no, Haku wasn't like that. If he didn't like Neji, then he wouldn't spend so much time with him. The Hyuuga remembers the way that Haku had spoken to the two girls at the mall. That was the only time he had ever seen the older boy upset.

The Hyuuga looks into the older male's deep brown eyes, and sees nothing but sincerity there.

He allows the words to sink in to his mind. Yes, he loves Gaara more than anything, but that doesn't mean that he hasn't thought of returning home. Just for a short while, of course. So he can tell his friends and family that he loves them and so he can explain to them why he has to do this. They had been mindless fantasies, of course, because there was no way that Gaara would take him back to Konoha.

But now… he doesn't have to rely on Gaara for that. Judging from the look on Haku's face, the older male would be far too happy to arrange for Neji's return home. And Neji would certainly like to go, but…

…He has a feeling that once he set foot back in his hometown, he'd never want to leave. He is trying to forget about his old life, and returning to Konoha will only make things worse. Plus he is sure that his father will do everything he can to make sure he never leaves again.

He feels a pang of regret as he thinks of his old life. His sisters and his father, Tenten and Lee and all of his other friends… they must miss him terribly. Probably as much as he missed them. But the feeling would go away eventually, right? It hasn't even been a year since he left; of course he is still slightly attached to his old life. Someday he'd forget all about Konoha.

Besides, for the first time since their departure, Neji's life is actually good. Right now, he has everything he needs; friends, a home, and Gaara. He can't remember the last time he was sad or disappointed. Everyday he woke up looking forward to spending time with Haku and Sai.

Neji takes a deep breath.

"I… this is my home."

Haku nods. "Okay."

* * *

_**Sunday, April 25**_

**7:56PM**

- o -

"...And this one guy, oh, gosh, he was the_ worst_. He was some rich college kid, who kept acting like he was doing me a _favor_ by letting him sleep with me." Haku reminisces with a chuckle, reaching for a bottle of dark blue nail polish.

Neji joins in with Haku's laughter. Sai only smiles- Neji has noticed that the other boy rarely laughed.

The three of them are in Sai's room, as usual. The floor is decorated with a multitude of large, fluffy pillows stealthily taken from different rooms in the brothel. The pale boy's bed has been turned and pushed against the wall. There is an assortment of snacks collected between them, including cookies, potato chips, and soda. Sai's TV is on in the background, but no one is paying attention to it.

The brothel had been astoundingly busy lately, so the three of them hadn't had as much time to spend with each other. Even Haku, who had the most free time out of the trio, had been holed up in his penthouse for days, doing taxes and other financial business. When they had finally gotten together to hang out, Neji had suggested that they have a sort of mock sleepover instead of going to a club or the movies, as they usually did. Haku had liked the idea right away. Neji had expected Sai to laugh and call him immature, but to his surprise, the older boy had agreed as well, then started toward his room with a nostalgic look in his eye.

"Okay, next question. What's the oldest you ever slept with? Neji, you first."

Neji shrugs, leaning back against a stack of blue pillows with gold trim. "I don't know. I don't ask them their age."

"Try to guess, then." Haku unscrews the cap from the bottle and begins to apply the shimmering liquid to his nails.

"Uhh… forty-eight?"

"_Ewww_!" Sai and Haku both chorus, though Neji knows that they're just messing with him. He laughs, popping the top on a can of soda.

"What about you, Haku?" Sai asks innocently. "Let's see… Zabuza's almost fifty, right?"

"He is not!" Haku exclaims, sticking his tongue out at the other boy. "Zabuza's only thirty-one."

"So what was the oldest?" Neji prompts.

"The oldest I've slept with… sixty-six years old." Haku responds.

Sai crosses his arms, a superior look on his face. "Eighty-nine. I win."

Neji makes a face. "Ew, Sai, that's nothing to be proud of!"

"Okay, your turn, Neji." Haku says, blowing on his nails to dry them.

The Hyuuga shrugs. He grabs one of the pillows from behind him and sets it in front of him, then lays down on his stomach. "I don't know what to ask."

"Come on, anything." Sai prods.

"Um… okay, your first kiss."

"Laaaame." Sai groans. "God, Neji, you're such a _virgin_."

"At least I've never had an STD." Neji shoots back.

Sai shuts up immediately.

Haku laughs, his eyes lighting up softly as he speaks. "Mine was with Zabuza."

"Some girl." Sai mutters after taking a long drink directly from a soda bottle. "Her name was Yakumo, or something. We used to draw chalk pictures together on the playground."

It is difficult for Neji to imagine Sai as an ordinary child. This is the first time Sai has said anything related to his past. Neji wants to ask him more questions about his childhood, but he doesn't want to risk upsetting the other male and ruining their night.

"That is so cute!" Haku says, clapping his hands together. "What about you, Neji?"

Neji grabs a handful of chips from one of the bags. "This boy I used to play with. His name was Sasuke."

"Aaaaw." The older boy coos. "Your question, Sai."

The pale boy lies down, stretching out his legs and resting his head in Haku's lap. "What abouuuut…. the last time you had sex while you weren't on the job. And not with me." He adds, looking up at Haku.

"Last week. Before Zabuza left." A fond smile spreads across Haku's lips.

Sai rolls his eyes. "Yesterday, with Torune."

"Who?" Neji asks.

"You don't know him."

"Well, _obviously_."

"What about you, Neji?"

"...I don't know." Neji thinks hard, ticking off days with his fingers. "Umm… I haven't been with Gaara for a couple of weeks, I think."

"...Why?" Haku asks, genuinely curious.

"I dunno." The Hyuuga shrugs, picking up a bag of chips. "I've just been kinda busy."

Haku raises an eyebrow. Neji's eyes meet the older boy's, and he receives a concerned look in response. It seems as if Haku has not forgotten about the conversation they had a couple of weeks ago.

"Everything is okay with us, though." He reassures Haku with a smile.

The older boy's eyes narrow ever so slightly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." The Hyuuga nods vigorously, not wanting to alarm the other boy. The fact that he and Gaara haven't been intimate in a while didn't have any bearing on their relationship, did it? It wasn't like they weren't speaking to each other, or anything serious like that.

Sai completely misses the serious tone that the conversation has taken. He shoves a cookie into his mouth. "Well, you still owe me for that one time I let you guys fuck on my desk."

* * *

_**Saturday, May 15**_

**1:26PM**

- o -

Working as a bodyguard for the brothel was not as entertaining as Gaara had initially thought it would be. When Neji had first approached him with Haku's offer, Gaara had accepted it right away. He had expected it to be interesting, perhaps even exciting. However, he had quickly discovered that most days, the only thing he was required to do was stand around. Whenever any of the prostitutes were "working", there was always a guard posted outside of the rooms. There would also always be three or more guards in the surveillance room, who would alert the guard outside the room via headset if anything went wrong.

Most of the time, Gaara was either standing motionless outside a door, or be in the surveillance room, playing cards with the other guards. He wouldn't mind the latter that much if he didn't have to work most of the same hours that Neji worked. It was exceptionally hard to concentrate on playing cards when he could always pick up Neji's voice through the sound feed.

Right now, the redhead is in the kitchen, looking to unwind after a a long, boring day of standing outside the Indigo room. Gaara sighs as he grabs a beer from the refrigerator. He pops the tab and then leans back against the counter. It is unusually warm for a day in April, and some of the brothel workers are outside, just laying about in the sun.

One girl in particular catches his eye. She is reclining on a lawn chair, her long legs stretched out in front of her. Her eyes are closed, and her long, thick brown hair spills down her shoulders and chest. She is wearing an indecently small yellow bikini, and her sunscreen-coated skin glistens in the sun. Gaara checks her out appreciatively, casually sipping his beer as he leans back against the refridgerator.

Another girl comes into view. Her hair is much shorter, but she is just as voluptuous as the first one. The second girl hands the other girl a can of soda, then gets on her knees on the grass and leans in, whispering into her friend's ear.

The longer-haired girl opens her eyes and sits up. Instead of turning toward her friend, however, she looks directly at the redhead in the kitchen.

Gaara raises an eyebrow, masking his surprise by taking another sip from his beer can. He'd be lying if he said that he hadn't noticed any of the other prostitutes who lived at the brothel. There _were_ a decent amount of them, males and females, and they were all quite attractive.

This is the first time he has seen these particular girls, however.

The longer haired girl smirks at him and pushes her self up on the chair, putting more of her tanned body on display. Her friend laughs and then gets up from her position on the grass. Gaara's eyes are drawn to the sway of her hips as she walks away.

**Damn.**

_Yeah…._

A flash of glossy dark hair yanks his attention away from the two girls outside. Neji enters the room, heading towards the back door, accompanied by Sai and Haku. He doesn't even notice Gaara as he passes, laughing and joking with his companions.

"-And I was all, 'well, do you _want_ me to take it off?' And he says-"

"Hey! Neji." Gaara says loudly. Neji turns.

"Oh, Gaara!" He exclaims, his eyes lighting up as he realizes who it was that had called him. He waves the other two off, motioning for them to go on ahead. "Hi, what's up?"

"Nothing. Uh…" Gaara takes in Neji's attire, from the tight jeans that he has recently started wearing, to the sunglasses propped up on his head, holding his hair back away from his face.

"...Are you going somewhere?"

**Nice one, captain obvious.**

The younger males nods. "Yes, to the movies with Haku and Sai."

"Oh… okay. When are you going to be back?"

Neji shrugs, flicking some of his hair back over his shoulder. "I don't know. Late, probably. Why?"

"No reason." Gaara sticks his hands in his pocket. He desperately tries to think of something to keep the conversation going, then stops. Why does he even _want_ to keep talking to the boy so badly?

**Tch. You're going soft.**

"Neji! Hurry up or we'll miss the bus!" Haku calls from outside.

"Okay!" Neji yells back. He turns his attention back to the redhead.

"I have to go… I'll see you later, okay?" Neji says with a smile, heading towards the exit.

"Wait!" Gaara grabs Neji's wrist, pulling him back. He instinctively places his hand on the boy's lower back, guiding him closer. It feels good to hold the boy in his arms again. "Do you… uh… want me to drive you there?"

"No, that's okay." Neji smiles sweetly, placing his hands on the older male's chest. "Thank you for offering."

"You're, uh, welcome…"

Teal eyes meet ivory. Without realizing it, Gaara slowly starts to lean in to the younger male. The redhead's eyes lower to the boy's lips, and he is shocked by a strange, unfamiliar pang in his chest. He hadn't realized how long it has been since the last time he's kissed Neji.

Neji blinks, then smiles softly, winding his arms around Gaara's neck. His eyelids lower as he stands on his toes, biting his lip in anticipation.

"NEJI...!"

The moment is interrupted. Neji twists away from his boyfriend with a frown.

"I'm _coming_!" He yells. Gaara struggles to not let his irritation show on his face. Instead, he steps back and crosses his arms.

"Sorry, Gaara…" Neji says sheepishly, shifting his attention back to his boyfriend. The redhead grunts, looking away.

Neji's smile falls.

"Well… bye." Not wanting to make the situation any more awkward than it is, Neji leans up and kisses Gaara quickly on the cheek. With a short wave, he pulls himself away and dashes towards the back door.

"…Later." Gaara watches him leave, groping around on the counter for his beer can. Belatedly, he realizes that this is the first time he and Neji have spoken to each other all week.

What was that feeling that had come over him before? When he had looked at Neji, he had felt… something that he has never felt before. Could he have actually _missed_ the kid? Sure, they saw each other at least once a day, and Neji always managed to find his way back into his and Gaara's bed after whatever it was he got up to with Sai and Haku, but still...

With a sigh, he raises the can to his lips and takes a sip. He was most likely just working too hard. There was no real reason why he would miss the kid. Sure, he liked Neji, but he had always considered the boy as an inconvenience instead of a partner. Gaara should be glad about the fact that he hasn't really interacted with him in a while. It leaves more time for him to spend by himself, and that is a good thing. Right?

**He's probably fucking the both of them.**

Gaara nearly chokes. Sputtering, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, mentally glaring at the entity within his mind.

_Who, Sai and Haku? Don't be an idiot. Neji wouldn't do that. _

Shukaku yawns. **Really? When was the last time you fucked him?**

_I don't know. It doesn't matter._ Gaara scoffs, tossing his beer can into the garbage, suddenly not wanting it anymore._ We're both busy during the day._

**And he spends the rest of his free time with those two whores.**

_So what?_

**So, he's fucking them.**

_You're insane._ Gaara dismisses Shukaku's words as he exits the kitchen, intent on going back to their room for a nap.

**Face it. He just doesn't want you anymore. **

This touches a nerve. _Shut up_. Gaara snaps. _Neji loves me too much. He wouldn't even _think_ of someone else that way._

He knows that the entity is just trying to start trouble with him, but that doesn't explain the anger he feels welling up in his chest at the thought of Neji ever being with anyone else, his job aside. He knows anger is completely unjustified considering the fact that he had cheated on Neji almost once a week during the beginning of their 'relationship', but for some reason, that doesn't make him feel better. Neji is beautiful, and the fact that men would be willing to pay their hard-earned money to sleep with him is proof of that. What if, one day, Neji feel in love with one of those men? It wouldn't be hard- after all, it was almost the same way he had met Gaara, right?

_Stop._ He pauses by the stairwell, pressing a hand to his temple.

"Neji wouldn't do that." He mumbles laughs in response.

**Sure. Whatever you want to believe.**

**

* * *

**

_**Friday, June 4**_

**7:51PM**

- o -

"Sai…"

Coal black eyes widen slightly as the long haired boy descends upon him. Sai barely has enough time to blink before he finds himself being straddled by the younger male for no apparent reason.

What had provoked this 'attack' is unclear. Sai had just returned from an eight hour shift. He had been eager to get into the shower, and was in the process of removing his clothing when he was suddenly pushed onto the bed. He hadn't even heard the other boy come in. Now he looks up at the Hyuuga, a hint of confusion on his face as he wonders what the boy is going to do next.

"I can't stop myself anymore." A wet tongue runs over soft pink lips, leaving a light sheen of saliva to glisten in the light. The younger boy presses close to Sai, his ivory eyes half-lidded in desire.

_Well. This is a surprise. _Sai thinks.

"I want you so _badly_…"

"Neji…" Sai says, his hands settling on the boy's hips. He isn't sure what has gotten into the boy, but he can't say Neji's actions are unwelcome. Quite the opposite, in fact. Although most of the times he had hit on the boy was purely for the purpose of teasing him, he had been completely serious each time. He had always just assumed that the other boy was too enamored with his boyfriend to respond to his efforts.

"Sai…" The other boy purrs in response, tossing his thick mane hair back over his shoulder. He trails a finger down Sai's chest.

"Please…" Neji moans, grinding down lightly on the other boy's lap. "Give it to me…"

"…_Shit_…" Sai curses, unable to stop himself from pulling the boy closer. Who would have known that the boy could be this seductive? Sai makes a mental note to congratulate himself on being such a good teacher later on. But for now...

"…I _need_ it..."

Soft pink lips hover dangerously close to Sai's. The older male can feel Neji's warm breath waft softly past his cheek. The gap between their mouths grows smaller and smaller until…

…Until Sai finds his face pressed into the covers of the bed.

"Oh my _God_." Neji shrieks from above him. "You were _actually_ going to kiss me!"

Sai grunts. "Of course I was." His voice is muffled by the comforter. The sound of Haku's laugher comes from somewhere in the room.

Neji climbs off of the boy, combing back his hair with his fingers. He walks over to Haku, who is slumped against the desk, nearly hysterical with laughter. He straightens up as Neji approaches him, wiping tears from his eyes.

Neji is smiling, despite the dark blush on his cheeks. "So...? Do I pass?"

"With flying c-colors." Haku can barely get the words out through his giggles.

Neji beams. Haku had suggested that Neji go through one last training exercise to prove how far he had come. Neji was pretty sure that Haku had only made the suggestion because he was bored and wanted to play a prank on an unsuspecting Sai. However, he is considerably proud of himself for managing to convince Sai that he wanted him.

"We should celebrate. Do you want to go out tonight?"

"No." Sai mutters sullenly from the bed. Neji looks over, and is amused to see that the other boy has curled up onto his side, scowling deeply with his arms crossed.

Neji sits down next to him, unable to remove the smile from his face. "I'm really sorry, Sai." He attempts, before bursting into giggles.

"Whatever." Sai responds sullenly.

"Aw, are you mad?" Haku kneels down next to the bed, so he is eye level with the other boy.

"Yes." Sai frowns.

"Don't be." Haku murmurs sincerely. He leans in and kisses the other boy softly.

Neji can practically feel Sai becoming calmer. He looks away from the two, unsure of how he felt about the two ever since his conversation with Haku. He doesn't think that Haku is doing the right thing, leading Sai on like that. He knows that Sai is practically emotionless, and from what Haku has told him, the pale boy has broken more than his share of hearts, but that doesn't mean that it should happen to _him_.

Neji shakes his head. _It's not your place to worry about their relationship. _He scolds himself. _They can both take care of themselves. _

Said boys break apart from their kiss slowly, steadily gazing into each other's eyes.

"I know what will cheer you up." Haku tells the other boy, slightly breathless.

The other male kisses Haku again before responding. "What?"

Haku brushes his hair behind his ear, and then leans over and whispers something to the other male. Sai's eyes widen slightly.

Neji tilts his head to the side. Before he can ask what it was that Haku had said, Sai shoots up from the bed and grabs the front of his shirt. "_Fuck yes_. Come on, let's go!"

He drags the helpless male out of the room, with a still-chuckling Haku following behind them.

Ten minutes later, they are outside, headed towards an unknown destination. It is a nice night for a walk. The air is crisp and clear, slightly chilly but not unbearable. The moon is out, gently obscured by clouds. The streets are not terribly deserted, but not very populated either, providing an eerie sort of calm that is normally uncommon for this part of the city.

Neji has no idea where they're going. Haku had only mentioned that they had gone out to "pick something up", but he doesn't know what. Most of the stores in downtown Kiri are closed now, so they can't be trying to purchase something. _And we're not going to a club, either, or else they would have made me change_. Neji looks down at his attire, which consists of one of Sai's old wifebeaters and sweatpants.

"How much further?" He asks curiously.

"Not far." Sai responds. "We're here."

Neji looks around. The block they are on doesn't look that much different from the previous ones they have walked. As far as he can tell, all of the stores on this block are closed. There doesn't seem to be anything of interest in a 3-block radius. "Where?"

"There." Sai gestures to the end of the block. The is a dark figure leaning against a lamppost, smoking a cigarette. Before Neji can ask about the identity of said figure, Sai is already a few yards ahead of them, apparently eager for the upcoming encounter.

"Who's that?" Neji whispers to Haku instead, slowing his steps.

"Torune." Haku responds, sliding his hands in his pockets.

"Oh... who's Torune?"

"Sai's dealer."

"…Dealer for what?"

Haku gives him a look.

"Oh… _oh_. OH!" Neji's eyes widen. "You mean…"

"Shh." Haku quiets him.

* * *

**8:22PM**

- o -

Neji's experience with drugs is very limited. His father had always told him to stay away from drugs; as well as alcohol, strangers, and Gaara. There is a sick thrill running through him at the idea of doing something that had been completely forbidden to him.

The true nature of his freedom hasn't been realized until now. There is no one here to stop him from doing this, no one to talk him out of it or run and tell his father. This new found feeling of independence, has Neji feeling bold and reckless.

"What's it like?" He asks curiously, struggling to catch up with Sai, who is still walking faster than his companions.

"It's amazing." Sai breathes, his dark eyes lighting up just at the thought. "You're going to love it."

The younger boy nods, biting his lip as excitement fizzles up within him.

They arrive at the brothel in record time and head straight up to Sai's room. The pale boy unlocks the door and herds them all inside quickly.

"Sit over here." Sai pushes Neji over to sit on the edge of the bed. He then clears his desk of all of the papers and books scattered across, dumping everything unceremoniously on the floor. He opens the desk and pulls out a single sheet of black paper, then places it gently on the desktop.

Sai taps out half of the bag's contents, then sets about separating it into thin lines. Neji half expects the police or his father to burst in and stop them, but of course, it doesn't happen. He is unable to sit still as he watches Sai get everything set up.

"What is it?" He whispers to Haku, unsure of the reason why he is talking so low.

Haku gives him an amused look. "Ketamine."

"Oh." The name means nothing to Neji, but he is still excited.

Sai gestures for the two of them to come over. The three of them gather around the desk

"Watch what he does." Sai tells him.

Neji sits very still, his eyes wide. Haku leans forward, brushing a stray strand of hair behind his ear, before placing the base of the straw at the beginning of the white powder, then snorting up the line in one quick movement. He blinks, then smiles slightly as he wipes his nose.

"What happened?" Neji asks eagerly. "Are you…?"

"No. It takes a little while to kick in."

Sai taps out some more of the drug, then arranges it into a thin line. He catches Neji by the wrist them pulls him closer to the table. "Your turn."

Neji takes a slow, deep breath, then takes the straw from Sai as he exhales. He leans down and positions himself and the straw in the same way he had seen Haku do it, then closes one nostril and inhales quickly through his nose.

His nose cavity burns as he fights the urge to sneeze. Haku gives him a reassuring smile, and takes his hand.

Neji stands by the table, waiting for something to happen as he watches Sai take his turn. Aside from the sting in his nose, Neji doesn't feel any different. Maybe a little bit light-headed, but nothing seems extraordinarily out of place. However, he doesn't notice when Haku leads him over to the bed and gently pushes him down onto it.

He knows that he is high when his back hits a large pile of clouds instead of sheets.

He can feel Sai and Haku around him, but he can't see them. What he can see are clouds all around him in a deep blue sky; moving past him at incredible speeds. Ahead of him there are birds, with jet black feathers and pale eyes, flapping their wings to some indiscernible rhythm. Neji finds that he is one of them, zooming along through the wind currents with no goal in sight, basking in the feeling of being free.

Smiling softly, Neji allows himself to get lost in his hallucinations.

* * *

_**Saturday, May 8**_

**10:15AM**

- o -

_Knock, knock_.

"Someone's at the door."

Sai moans. "I know."

"Go get it."

"No."

"Sai…" Haku rolls over and prods the other boy in the ribs.

The paler boy groans and throws off the sheets. He drags himself over to the door and yanks it open. "What."

"Don't tell me you guys are STILL in bed?" Neji says, pushing past Sai. "It's almost noon!"

Haku groans from the bed. "Uuugh…"

Neji bounds over to the window and pulls the drapes open, allowing a flood of sunlight to enter the room. "It's beautiful outside! Come on, let's go get breakfast or something!"

Haku shields his eyes from the sun. "You've got to be kidding."

Sai makes a caveman-like noise of agreement from his position slumped against the doorframe.

Neji whirls around to face them. "I'm serious! You guys better be up by the time I come back, or else!"

He exits in a dramatic flourish, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

Sai sluggishly drags himself back to the bed. "I guess we'd better get up, then." He says, pulling the covers over his head.

"Mm-hm." Haku mumbles into the pillow.

They fall into a companionable silence; neither of them falling asleep, just laying there and listening to the sounds of a spring morning.

Finally, Haku speaks. "Hey… Sai?" He murmurs sleepily.

"Mm?"

"...Do you remember, in February, we made a bet on how long Neji would last here?"

"Mm-hm."

"You know we both lost, right?"

"Yeah."

Haku is silent for a few long moments. Then he murmurs, "I'm glad we both lost."

A soft, authentic smile spreads across Sai's lips. "Yeah."

"You GUUUYS~!"


	11. dark clouds

i don't own Naruto.

thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

warnings: drug use, infidelity, implied incest. unbeta'd. feel free to leave predictions in your reviews, i really enjoy reading them!

also, if you think that there's something off about Haku and Sai at the end, you're not crazy.

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

_**Saturday, July 5**_

**seven years ago**

**2:26PM**

- o -

_"Itachi! Itachi! Look, I caught one!"_

_Itachi looked up just in time to see a tiny green blur leap from between his younger brother's caged fingers. _

_The younger Uchiha's face fell as he looked down at his now empty hands. "I had it, really! You saw it, right?" He asked, wiping his hands off on his shorts before hurrying over to his brother. "Right, Itachi?"_

_The two of them are in a small clearing in the woods that bordered the left side of Konoha. It is a humid spring afternoon, and the one day that week that Itachi had been available to spend time with his brother. He had signed up for a number of advanced classes this semester, as well as a large amount of extra curricular activities._

_Itachi would take on anything to keep himself occupied and away from home these days._

_"I saw it." Itachi confirmed with a smile, poking his brother in the forehead with two fingers when the younger Uchiha reached him. "Why don't you try using the net?"_

_"No! Naruto said he caught a frog with his bare hands, so I have to do it too!" The younger Uchiha said stubbornly, crossing his arms across his chest._

_Itachi shrugged, closing his eyes and folding his arms behind his head. "What are you going to do when you catch one?"_

_"I'm gonna give it to Naruto!"_

_An amused smile spreads across Itachi's face. These are the days he loved the most. Warm afternoons, spent in the company of his brother, the one person he loved more than anyone else in the world. When Sasuke was around, his life didn't seem quite so horrible._

_Itachi re-opened his eyes when he felt a droplet of water hit the side of his face. _

_"Shit." He mumbled under his breath. Neither him nor Sasuke had brought an umbrella._

_"Did you just_ _swear?" Sasuke asked, whirling around to face his brother. A raindrop hit him on the nose. "Hey! It's raining!"_

_Itachi got up quickly, reaching for the bag he had brought their lunches in. "Come on Sasuke, let's go back home."_

_"But I didn't catch a frog!" The younger Uchiha protested, tossing a longing glance back towards the pond. _

_"If we stay out here, the only thing you're going to catch is a cold." Itachi chided. _

_Sasuke pouted, but reluctantly took Itachi's hand. He squealed and pressed closer to the older boy's as the rain started coming down heavier. Together they ran from the depths of the forest to the edge of town, stopping to protect themselves from to downpour in a bus shelter. _

_They stayed on the bench in the shelter, watching the rain come down in grey sheets. Sasuke leaned against his bother, eager to share the other boy's body warmth, even though Itachi had become nearly soaked while trying to shield Sasuke from the rain._

_"Will you read to me tonight?" Sasuke asked excitedly. "Please?"_

_Itachi shook his head, wrapping his around around his brother. "I can't. I promised Hidan I'd hang out with him."_

_"Oh… Okay. I'll just ask daddy to read to me, then."_

_Itachi paled. "Sasuke… ask mom instead. She does the funny voices better, remember?"_

_"Okay!" Sasuke chirped._

_

* * *

_

**Saturday, July 3rd**

**4:15PM**

- o -

These days, Sasuke never goes straight home.

The area has become overgrown with weeds. The water in the pond is dark and murky. Few, if any, fish reside in it. The ground is littered with candy wrappers and empty beer cans.

Still, it is a comfort to Sasuke. He has been coming here everyday since he found out about his brother's death. There is a harsh stillness that keeps his mind clear from trivial things. He spends his afternoons sitting cross-legged on the grass in front of the pond, staring into the dark water and drawing up memories of times spent with his brother. The only thing he wants to think about is Itachi.

School doesn't matter to him anymore. He keeps his grades up just to avoid suspicion. He makes up stories about what he does after school to keep his mother happy and unworried, even though these days she always looks at him with a sad sort of smile on her face. He doesn't attract attention to himself. He keeps an appropriate distance from his father, and makes sure he is always unavailable when Fugaku wants to speak with him.

There is a rustling noise coming from the bushes behind him. Sasuke doesn't react. He doesn't care if anyone finds him here.

"This is the last place I'd expect you to be." Naruto's voice cut through the still silence.

Sasuke closes his eyes.

Of _course_ it would be Naruto. Who else?

"Me and Kiba sometimes come up here to drink." Naruto continues as he approaches the other boy. "I didn't think anyone else knew about this place."

Sasuke doesn't respond. What can he say? He and Naruto haven't spoken to each other since the day of their last fight. He knew that he shouldn't have antagonized the other boy like that, but after that day, he didn't really feel like being friends with anyone. Most of the people at school avoid him, afraid that his brother's death would drive him over the edge.

"I've been looking for you all over town. I thought you had pulled a 'Neji'." The blond tries humorlessly, taking a seat on the grass next to the other boy. Sasuke flinches away from him, making the other boy frown.

"I heard about your brother." Naruto starts again, pulling a handful of grass blades from the earth and tossing it into the murky waters. The blades separate slowly, resting on the surface of the pond.

The Uchiha stays silent. By now, the entire town had heard the news. The local papers and journalists had milked the story for all it was worth, printing stories describing in detail how the oldest Uchiha son had been shanked in the showers, or had been killed during a prison riot, or whatever ridiculous theory they had come up with that week. All of them were lies, created by the news stations and the imagination of the town people. And the worst part was, those rumors were not being denied at all by the Uchiha family. Fugaku hadn't spoken out against them, and was possibly even encouraging them. The head of the Uchiha family was as determined as possible to make clear the differences between Itachi and the rest of the family, and the crazier Itachi looked, the better he did.

The funeral had been brief. It had been held behind the Uchiha Mansion, beneath a large, sprawling oak tree. Mikoto had insisted that the location had been Itachi's favorite place, even though Sasuke knew that wasn't true. There was no body- the orderlies at the asylum had said that Itachi had drowned in a nearby river during an attempted escape. Sasuke was glad. He didn't want to see what Itachi had become.

He didn't want to see what his brother looked like, dead.

"I'm… sorry. Again." Naruto cuts into Sasuke's thoughts. "Jeez, I keep fucking up with you, don't I?"

_Yes_. Sasuke doesn't say it out loud. This was a time where he was supposed to reflect on his memories with his brother, not Naruto. It feels as if the other boy is intruding. Once again, he stays silent, even going as far as to purposely look away from the blond.

Still, Naruto is not deterred by Sasuke's standoffish behavior.

"I miss you." He tries, reaching out to place a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry." He says again.

Sasuke has had enough. He doesn't want to hear apologies from Naruto. He doesn't want to be lured into that false sense of comfort once more, only to have everything ripped away from him in the form of an argument or a letter on a desk. He is done with that.

Without a word, Sasuke stands up, picks up his bookbag, and exits the clearing.

Naruto sighs.

* * *

_**Saturday, July 3rd**_

**8:55PM**

- o -

"You have a monster inside of you."

Gaara stares at the younger male, who is slumped against the door frame, his eyes half lidded and unfocused. Those were honestly the last words Gaara had ever expected to hear coming from the boy's mouth.

"What?" He asks a bit dumbly.

"A monster.'" Neji repeats. His eyes briefly meet Gaara's, and for some reason, in that moment Gaara feels as if Neji can see straight through him. "He, uh… he doesn't like me."

Gaara breaks their connection, not understanding the cold feeling that washes over him. Even Shukaku seems shaken by his own apparent exposure.

He takes a step towards the boy, not knowing what to say to him. Does Neji know about Shukaku, or is he just messing around? If he does, then how did he find out?

"Uh… what does this 'monster' look like?"

"Hmmm…." Neji closes his eyes and tilts his head up towards the ceiling. "I dunno."

_What? _Gaara scratches his head, noticing for the first time that there is something off about the boy. He doesn't seem to be able to look at anything for longer than two seconds, and his speech is slower than usual.

"Are you okay?" Gaara asks, looking at the boy with a gaze that borders on concerned.

"Mmhm. I'm…" Neji reopens his eyes, interrupting himself with a short giggle. "I'm alright."

"…you sure?"

"Yeah… why are you moving around so much?" The younger male asks with excessive curiously, despite the fact that Gaara is standing still.

Before Gaara can respond, Sai appears behind Neji in the doorway. "Did you get your wallet, Neji?"

"Oh! That's what I came up here for." The Hyuuga says, his eyes lighting up.

Sai offer a short wave to the redhead standing in the room. "Hello, Gaara." He says, his customary fake smile firmly in place on his lips.

Gaara's eyes narrow at Sai. He had disliked the boy from the moment he saw him at the club nearly five months ago, and he is sure that Sai feels the same way. The fact that Neji has practically become attached at the hip with the other boy only increases Gaara's hostile feelings toward the other boy.

He doesn't offer Sai a greeting in response. Instead he jerks his thumb to the left. "Your wallet's over here, Neji."

"Kay." Neji doesn't move.

Was he sick or something? Gaara wouldn't know if he was; they haven't slept in the same bed for the last two weeks. Still, he hopes it isn't contagious.

When it became obvious that Neji wasn't going to come into the room, Gaara grabs the wallet from the desk himself and walks it over to the boy. Neji blinks at it three times before smiling and taking it from him. "I found my wallet!" He announces, pushing off of the doorframe and subsequently loosing his balance. He falls back against Sai, who catches him about half of the way down to the floor. Neji tilts his head back to look up at the paler boy, then starts laughing hysterically.

The redhead narrows his eyes. _What the hell is going on?_

Sai straightens the Hyuuga up, but doesn't remove his hands from the other boy's waist.

Gaara grits his teeth and looks up at Sai's face. "…Should he be going out like that?"

"He'll be fine." The paler boy smirks at him. "Don't worry. We'll take good care of him."

"Bye, Gaara…" Neji totters forward and presses a wet kiss to Gaara's jawbone, then returns to Sai. The paler boy gives one last smug look to the redhead before guiding the Hyuuga down the hall, his hand dangerously low on Neji's back.

Gaara stays where is is, wondering what the hell just happened. _Why the hell was he acting like that?_

**Are you an idiot? He was obviously high out of his mind.**

"What?" Drugs hadn't even occurred to Gaara. Neji was too pure for that. "Are you joking? His father's practically a narc."

**And he's not here, right? Of course the kid's gonna go crazy.**

For some reason, the thought of Neji on drugs did not sit well with Gaara. Perhaps it was because it corrupted the image of the boy Gaara still maintains in his mind- innocent and pure, even though by all means and purposes, Neji wasn't either of those things any more.

Of course, Gaara was no stranger to illegal substances. Shukaku, however, was not a fan of them- most of the ones Gaara had experimented with in the past had suppressed the entity, something which did not sit well with Shukaku at all.

**So what if he's on drugs? Shit, you're not his father.** The entity paused, then cackled. **Unless you want to be, pedophile.**

_Shut. Up. _Gaara is not in the mood for this old routine again.

**You want him to call you **_**daddy**_**, right?**

_SHUT UP. I don't want to hear it. _The redhead growls in his mind. The entity ignores him.

**So… your little Hyuuga is experimenting with drugs now. I wonder what other… **_**wild**_** things he gets up to with those two?**

The redhead is forced to shut his eyes tightly to ward off the unwanted visions Shukaku's words assaulted him with. Images of the three boys together… all that soft pale skin and dark hair, entwined together. The vision was practically a work of art, but one that left Gaara feeling sick to his stomach.

"Neji. Wouldn't. Do that." Gaara grounds out, pressing a hand to his temple.

**Of course he would. **Shukaku continues gleefully. **Think about it… they're around his age, and they're both fucking hot. Why on earth would he even**_** think**_** of sleeping with you when he has them around?**

To Gaara, there is truth in Shukaku's words. Why _would_ Neji even want to be with Gaara anymore, when he has essentially replaced everything Gaara was good for in the first place? Companionship, money… and if what Shukaku is saying is true, then he has replaced his source of sex as well. Gaara was practically useless to the boy. Why hadn't he seen it before?

The more Gaara thinks about it, the angrier he becomes. What was the point of staying here? For a boy that barely even acknowledged his existence anymore? Sure, the pay was good, but Gaara could get a job anywhere he wanted. He has no problem with sleeping in motel rooms, or even his car; and he certainly has no problems with eating microwave dinner every night. Most of the things he had done in the last six months were for Neji, and this is how the little brat repaid him? By screwing the first two friends he made?

He realizes that by now, his hands have clenched into fists, blunt nails digging into the flesh of his palms. He forces himself to calm down, knowing full well that it was dangerous for him to get so worked up. Unfortunately, Shukaku is determined to keep the conversation going.

**What does it matter to you if he's with them?**The entity asks slyly.** You don't **_**love**_** him, right?**

"Of course I don't." The redhead snaps.

**So let him fuck around, just like you did to him.**

Gaara has no response. He doesn't know how to say that those are two different things… because deep down, he knows that they're not. He shouldn't care if the boy is sleeping with people other than him. As a matter of fact, he should be ecstatic that the kid is less clingy than ever. But he's not, and he _doesn't know why._

A knock on the door draws him out of his inner turmoil. Gaara stands up immediately, his heart rate speeding up just a little bit. If it is Neji, he doesn't know what he will do. Yell at him, maybe. This was all the kid's fault anyway. Gaara had never had this much trouble sorting out his emotions before that night in his driveway. Neji was messing him up, making Gaara think things that didn't need to be thought and feel things that didn't need to be felt.

He reaches the door and yanks it open.

Two women, roughly around his age, stand in front of the door. The shorter haired one has her hand on her hip and the other one is leaning against her friend. They are wearing very little; the first one has on a tight t-shirt that reaches her upper thighs, and the other one is wearing shorts and a tight sleeveless shirt that shows off her midriff. Gaara recognizes them as the two whores he had seen on the grounds that one day.

"Hey." The one with the shorter hair murmurs, raking her gaze up his chest and to his face. "Gaara, right?"

"Yeah."

"My name's Matsuri." The girl in front says. "This is Sari." The other girl winks at him.

"Okay… can I help you two with something?" The redhead mutters, still trying to stifle his anger.

"Aren't you going to invite us in?" Matsuri asks innocently, attiring up at the redhead with wide eyes as she twirls a lock of hair around her finger.

If it were four months ago, Gaara wouldn't have even considered letting two girls into their room, if only to save himself from the theatrics he would have to endure if Neji ever found out. Four months ago, he wouldn't even have had a reason to allow two girls into his bedroom- they were still regularly having sex at that time.

But somewhere along the line, things had changed. At some point Neji had decided, consciously or not, that he wanted to spend more time with Sai and Haku than with Gaara.

Gaara is grateful for the distraction, and it is honestly quite a welcomed one indeed. He'd briefly considered the possibility of sleeping with one (or two) of the other brothel workers, but he knew that if he did, the news would spread like wildfire. Everyone knew everyone else's business in the brothel, and he wasn't going to risk Neji finding out and pitching a fit.

But now… things are different. He steps away from the doorway without a word, granting the two passage. Once they're inside, he shuts the door and locks it behind them. Neither girl seems to mind.

"We saw your boyfriend going out again tonight." Sari tells him, taking a seat at the foot of his bed. She crosses her legs and leans back a little, putting her body on display.

"So?" Gaara asks, crossing his arms.

"Sooo… we thought that you might want some company." Matsuri says, walking a full circle around him before stopping at his back. She places her hands on his shoulders and stands on the tips of her toes to whisper her next line in his ear. "It does get awful lonely around here, doesn't it?"

Gaara smirks, glad that they weren't wasting any time. Matsuri takes his silence as permission to continue. She gently pushes him forward, until he is right in front of Sari. The longer haired girl smirks up at him.

"We've been watching you." Sari purrs, trailing a hand down Gaara's chest.

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hm. And we…" The other girl murmurs, flicking out her tongue and running it along the shell of his ear. "…wanted to get to know you better."

"_Much_ better." Sari finishes, sliding her hand up beneath his towel. Gaara hisses as she takes a hold of his cock.

_This_ is what he was all about. Fuck Neji. He had made his choice. And if he had decided that he wanted to be with those two whores, than Gaara would be with these two.

It was as simple as that.

* * *

_**Saturday, July 3rd**_

**seven years ago**

**10:58PM  
**

- o -

_The rooftop was still wet with the rain from that afternoon's shower. Itachi was careful in hoisting himself over the ledge from the fire escape, not wanting to accidentally slip and fall off. _

_Once he was standing, he gestured to his friend to pass him the large black duffle bag. Hidan did so with a huff, then hoisted himself over the ledge as well._

_They were standing on the roof of Kikyo Castle, the tallest building in Konoha. _

_The view from the rooftop was nothing short of magnificent, but Itachi didn't feel like enjoying it tonight. He could see nearly all of Konoha from here, but no one could see him. The great thicket of trees that surrounded the town looked like dark clouds of smoke instead, and for some reason this makes Itachi feel a grim sort of satisfaction. _

_He turned to the boy standing behind him. "Are you scared, Hidan?" He asked softly._

_"The fuck do I look like?" Hidan snorted, running a hand through his hair._

_"You remember what you have to do, right?"_

_"Stand here and make sure no one comes up." Hidan recalled with a roll of his eyes._

_"Good. This shouldn't take long." Itachi hoisted the bag up over his shoulder. and headed over to the reason he came up here._

_On top of Kikyo Castle was a gigantic billboard. On it were the words KONOHA POLICE DEPARTMENT, with an image of Fugaku Uchiha next to them, his arms crossed and a sharp glare on his face. It wasn't an advertisement, but a warning to criminals. _

_The billboard was fairly popular among the citizens of Konoha, with many of them reporting that it made them feel safe. Itachi was not one of those people. He was forced to pass it everyday on his way to and from school. He tried to avoid looking at it as much as he could, but it was always there- taunting him, mocking him, watching his every move. That's why he had decided to do something about it._

_The billboard was a lot bigger up close. Itachi took a step back, trying to size it up. His plan was to only spray paint the picture of his father- the rest of the force didn't deserve the disrespect. However, the longer he stared at it, the more uneasy he became. For the first time tonight, he thought that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He hadn't realized how… large the billboard would be, or how threatening his father would look like, glaring down at him._

_Itachi took a step back, unaware of the fact that he was trembling ever so slightly. 'You can do this.' He told himself. 'You're going to have to confront him eventually; this is just practice. He won't be this big when you do. He won't be this… overbearing…'_

_He took another step back, then slipped on a puddle of water. His eyes widened as he felt the strong hand of gravity tugging him backwards off of the building._

_For a brief moment, before the fear set in, Itachi was almost happy. Falling to his death was an easy way to escape the inevitable clash with his father, and he had a short moment of cowardice, where he embraced his unintentional surrender. _

_The feeling was gone in the next instant, replaced by one of terror. Itachi could feel his body falling back over the edge, almost as if in slow motion._

_He was too afraid to scream- a frightened gasp caught in his chest was all his vocal cords allowed him. 'Oh God Oh God Oh God I'm gonna die- this can't happen to me, not before I've killed him, not before I've saved Sasuke- Oh God, Oh GOD-'_

_A large hand grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him back onto the building. Itachi stumbled forward into the person who had saved him, gulping in deep breaths of air. _

_"Shit, kid, you trying to get yourself killed?" A gruff voice asked. Itachi desperately tries to regulate his breathing. Good God, that had been close._

_"…No." Itachi forced out when he had finally caught his breath. "I… I wasn't thinking correctly."_

_The older boy snorts. "Dumbass."_

_His heartbeat still racing, Itachi took a moment to look at the other boy. He was tall and broad, with messy, flaming red hair and green eyes. He looked to be in his late teens, far older than Itachi was. _

_"How did you get past Hidan?" The Uchiha asked quietly, someone irritated at the fact that he had to be saved now that he had calmed down a little._

_"Who, that idiot over there?" The older male gestured to Hidan, who was blissfully unaware of the fact that Itachi had nearly lost his life just now. "We didn't have to. Me and my friends have been up here for hours." He gestured over to a group of guys sitting together in the corner of the roof. Itachi had walked right past them in his hurry to get to his task._

_"…Oh."_

_"What are you doing up here, anyway? I'm pretty sure it's past your bedtime."_

_"I was planning on tagging the billboard." Itachi admitted, turning to look up at said object. His father glared down at him. Itachi resisted the urge to shiver._

_"Are you serious? Why?"_

_Itachi closed his eyes. "Because I hate him."_

_The other boy looked surprised. "Oh. Well, that's a pretty good reason, I guess."_

_Itachi doesn't say anything._

_"Hey… I'm not a big fan of Uchiha myself. You think you could use some help?"_

_"Sure."_

_

* * *

_

_**Saturday, July 3rd**_

**11:10PM**

- o -

"I'm soooo jealous of your hair!" A dark haired girl gushes, running her fingers through Neji's dark strands. The Hyuuga flinches and shifts away as much as he can without looking as if he was doing it on purpose.

"Thanks. Yours is... nice, too." Neji glanced sideways at Sai, who rolls his eyes at him. Neji smirks slightly.

He had come down from his high about an hour ago, forty minutes after the time they had arrived at the club. Now, Neji is seated on a comfortable couch in the lounge section of the club, surrounded by his friends as well as about eight other people (Sai had run into Torune with a group of friends on his way back from the bar, and had invited the group to come join them). There are a lot of them, and Neji was actually trying to make an effort to remember all of their named- the girl who is invading his personal space is named Kurotsuchi, for example- but in the end, it really didn't matter. He was just trying to relax and have a good time tonight.

Haku is seated next to him. Next to him is Fuu, another one of Torune's friends, who has an arm slung around Haku's shoulders, and is trying to coerce the other male into giving him a blowjob. Sai is on a couch across from them, perched on Torune's lap and engaged in a deep kiss with the other male. The conversation is light, nothing too serious, but it is heavy with innuendo as well as outright propositions. Apparently Torune's friends all knew of Sai and Haku's (and Neji's, by extension) occupation.

"You three are like, the hottest prostitutes I've ever seen." Dajimu, one of Torune's friends, comments loudly, uninhibited because of the alcohol. Neji disguises a snicker as a short cough, earning a discreet jab in the ribs from Haku.

"Aren't you sweet?" Haku purrs, turning his attention away from the man to his right.

"What can I get for like, ten bucks?" Fuu asks, already reaching for his wallet.

"You can buy us some more drinks." Sai briefly separates himself from Torune to answer.

Realizing that he isn't going to get anywhere with Haku, Fuu expands his attentions to Neji as well. "So… you two are close, yeah?"

"Mm-hm. _Very_." Haku emphasizes, shifting closer to Neji and away from the man next to him. He places a hand on Neji's knee, and the Hyuuga knows that the game is on.

"You guys ever… you know… get together?"

"What do you mean?" Neji asks innocently, playing along. This was a routine he practically knew by heart. Men seemed to like envisioning them together, whether it was Haku and Neji, Sai and Neji, or any combination of the three. Teasing them was fun, and it allowed them all of the luxuries that flirting provided (meaning free drinks) with only a minimal amount of interaction with the men supplying them.

"Have you two ever fucked?" Fuu clarifies, leering at the two long-haired boys.

Neji lowers his head in a bashful manner, trying to seem as convincing as possible. "No!" He says, feigning shock. "I would never… he's my friend!"

"You're so cute, Neji." Haku says teasingly, leaning closer to the other boy and cupping his face. They now have the audience's undivided attention.

"I am?" Neji asks, fighting a laugh by biting his lip.

"Yeah…" Haku leans in closer, tucking a piece of Neji's hair behind his ear. "Sometimes I just want to…."

Haku trails off, flicking his eyes towards Neji's bottom lip before leaning into the other boy, closer and closer. At exactly the right moment, when their lips are about to touch, Neji stops him with a hand to his chest.

"I don't want anyone watching." He whispers, laughing inwardly at the groans he received from their audience.

This was normally the end of their little act. At this point, Haku would usually coo, "It's okay… I'll wait until we get home." Thus ending their show for good and disappointing countless amounts of men.

However, Haku is now looking at him with a mischievous glint in his eye. Instead of pulling away, he coos, "Oh, Neji… you don't have to be shy. There's nothing to be embarrassed about, right boys?"

The crowd around them murmured their assent, all eyes on the amorous couple.

Neji is curious to see how far Haku is planning on taking things, so he continues to go along with it. "Are you sure, Haku? I don't think they would be that interested in seeing us… _you know_."

Haku smirks, flipping his hair over his shoulder and turning his upper body towards the people surrounding them. "Do you want to see me kiss him?"

"_Fuck_ yeah." One of the men groaned, and the others chimed in with enthusiastic agreement.

Haku places a hand on Neji's knee, gently caressing it. Something flutters in the pit of Neji's stomach. "Are you_ suuure_?"

Their small audience nods eagerly, including Kurotsuchi. Even Torune, who had been busy leaving a chain of hickeys around Sai's neck for the last few minutes, raises his head in interest.

Haku smiles. "Okay." He says, then closes the short distance between them and gently presses his lips against Neji's.

Neji didn't think that Haku was actually going to do it. His eyes widen in surprise for a short moment, before he remembers that it's still all an act.

Or at least, he thinks it is.

Haku lip's are soft and warm against his. They take it slow at first, engaging in short, gentle kisses that leave Neji craving for more. He parts his lips unconsciously, subtly asking for the kiss to be deepened. He feels a sharp jolt of pleasure when Haku's tongue slides against his own.

The older male doesn't try to dominate the kiss, like Gaara would; he is content with the slow, wet duel their tongues engage in. Neji relaxes into the other boy, allow Haku to slide his hand up the outside of his thigh. He tangles one hand in Haku's hair, pulling the other boy closer.

Haku pulls back ever so slightly, putting just enough space between their mouths so that their oral activities can be viewed more clearly. Neji lets out a soft moan. Haku's lips quirk upwards briefly before he responds with a soft, pleasured noise of his own, for the sake of their show.

"…_Hot…_" One of the men breathes.

Soon, the need for air becomes apparent. Haku licks at Neji's tongue one last time before drawing back slowly, allowing a glistening thread of saliva to briefly stretch between their mouths before it snaps.

The crowd around them is silent for a brief moment, but then breaks into uproarious noise of cheering and catcalls. Sai is still seated on Torune's lap, eyes wide and his mouth hanging open, looking as if he has just died and gone to heaven.

Neji raises a hand to his lips. He hasn't feel this dazed after a kiss since the first time he met Gaara…

Oh.

_OH._

"I just cheated on Gaara." Neji whispers, barely overhead by Haku, who is smoothing down his shirt.

Haku turns to face him, his lips turned up in a sensual smile. "What?"

Neji can hardly say the words out loud. "I… I just cheated on Gaara. With you."

He had kissed Haku and he had enjoyed it. More than that; he had practically _loved_ it. And he had done it for free- not for money, but for his own selfish reasons. God, did he have no shame?

Neji stands up abruptly, his hands shaking at his sides. "I- I have to go home. I need to tell him."

Their capricious audience doesn't even notice his outburst; their attention has been drawn to a pair of girls who had seen Haku and Neji's little show and had decided to compete with them.

Haku had stopped smiling, and is now looking at Neji in a way that could only be described as calculating. "Neji," He starts, and the Hyuuga has to keep himself from focusing on the other boy's lips. "Maybe you should think about this. It _was_ just an act."

…Was it really, though? They had never gone that far before, and there was no reason for them to have done so now. Haku must have really wanted to kiss him. But why?

It is too confusing. Yes, their performance had gone too far, but in Neji's mind, it was his fault, and his fault alone. He should have been able to have the control to reign himself in when Haku got too close, but instead he had eagerly given in like a weak-minded slut.

"Oh, God." Neji whispers, clapping a hand to his mouth. _What have I done?_

"Calm down, Neji. It's not a big deal." Sai stated matter-of-factly, rolling his eyes as he threaded his hand through Torune's hair. It seems as if he has gotten over his reaction to their show.

Suddenly overcome with anger, the Hyuuga whirls around and glares at the other boy. "Oh, right, like _you_ would know anything about _relationships_." He snaps harshly.

For the first time ever, Sai looks taken aback. He opens his mouth to respond, but apparently can't think of anything to say, so he closes it just as quickly.

"Neji…" Haku tries.

"Stop. Just- please. I have to go. I have to tell him as soon as possible."

"Are you sure-"

"_Yes._" Neji says, absolutely sure of this. Haku and Sai exchange a look, and Neji, for the first time in months, feels left out.

If they didn't want to go with him, then fine. Neji turns quickly, intent on making his way home as quickly as possible, before he is consumed by guilt.

"Wait."

Neji stops then turns around. He is extremely surprised to discover that it was not Haku or Sai who had spoken, but Torune. His confusion increases as Torune gently, but firmly, lifts Sai off of his lap and places him on the couch next to him.

In what may be the first words he has ever spoken to Neji, Torune says sincerely, "I'll take you home."

* * *

**11:32PM**

- o -

Neji is disgusted with himself.

How could he have been so _stupid_? He practically _ignores _Gaara for weeks on end, then betrays him? What kind of horrible person was he?

His mind is clear for the first time in weeks. What would Gaara think of him kissing the other boy? Would he be furious? Would he… would he leave Neji? The thought is unbearable. Sure, they haven't actually been together in weeks, but Gaara was always still _there_. His clothes were on the floor, his toothbrush in the sink, the scent of his skin in their sheets… something of Gaara's was always present in his life. Neji can't believe how much of a fool he is to risk throwing that away.

He honestly can't even remember the last time he had _conversed_ with Gaara, let alone kissed him. This was supposed to be his boyfriend, the man he loved, and Neji apparently couldn't even be bothered to hang out with him anymore. How was he supposed to get Gaara to fall in love with him if he spent all his time with Sai and Haku?

_It's okay,_ He tells himself fiercely. _You'll just tell Gaara what happened, and say how sorry you are- for everything. He'll forgive you, and everything will be alright. _

They pull up in front of the brothel. Neji throws open the door without thanking the older male and runs up the front steps to the mansion doors. He jets right by the night security and to the large marble staircase in the center of the vestibule. Taking them two at a time, he rushes up the stairs, then down the hallway to the second flight that would take him to his floor.

_I'm so sorry, Gaara. _He thinks as he runs, his eyes tearing up.

Neji skids to a stop as he reaches the his door. He sobs a sigh of relief as he finally gets the key in the lock. Frantically he pushes the door open, then fumbles along the inside of the wall for the light switch.

"Gaara!" He finally locates the switch, and then flips it upward. "Gaara, I need to talk to you-"

Neji stops short.

Takes a step back.

And stares.

Gaara is on the bed, completely naked and fast asleep, as are his two bedmates. The shorter haired girl, who Neji recognizes as Matsuri, is curled up under the redhead's left arm. The other girl, Sari, is draped over Gaara's chest. All three individuals are blissfully unaware of the shocked brunet standing in the doorway.

Neji feels like throwing up.

As his heart sinks all the way down to his stomach, Neji can only think of one thing:

_Well… at least he won't be mad._


	12. chlorine: a flashback

i don't own naruto.

i'm soooo sorry for the wait! and i'm also kind of sorry that this is a flashing chapter, so you'll have to wait even longer to find out what happened after the last chapter. still, i hope you all enjoy it!

unbeta'd.

* * *

Petroleum

* * *

_**Thursday, August 20**_

**11 Months Ago**

**9:35 PM**

- o -

Neji exited the front doors of the Konoha Public library with a happy smile on his face. He had spent the better part of the day working on his summer project, and had successfully completed it five minutes ago. Now, he had the rest of the summer free to do whatever he wanted to do without having to worry about schoolwork.

Glancing at his watch, Neji frowned when he saw what time it was. He hadn't meant to stay at the library for so long. Hopefully, he could still make it home before his father did. Quickening his pace, he bounded down the steps of the library and down to the end of the block, where the bus stop was.

The streets were mostly empty, as this was a part of town where everything, save for the library, closed early. Only a few cars passed by, and there did't seem to be anyone on the sidewalk. Neji wrapped his arms around himself as he walked, wishing that he had elected to bring a jack with him when he first left his house. Konoha became pretty chilly sfter the sun went down, and tonight was no exception.

He reached the bus stop and looked up at the time list. Neji's face fell when he realized that it would be another forty-five minutes until the next bus came.

_There is no way I'm waiting that long._ He thought, with a frown. Sighing heavily, he decided that he would have to ask his father to drive him home, despite the fact that he would probably get grounded for it.

Leaning against the bus sign, he took out his phone and dialed the number of his father's office.

"Hiashi Hyuuga." His father said impatiently as he picked up the phone.

"Hi, daddy, it's Neji. I need a ride home."

"What are you still doing out? Your curfew was almost an hour ago." Hiashi scolded. The sound of furious typing could be heard through the phone.

He winced at his father's tone. "I had to work on a project at the library."

"I can't pick you up. I have a lot of paperwork I have to complete before tomorrow morning." Hiashi said, sounding angry. "Ask Ko to come get you."

Ko was the Hyuuga family's chauffeur, and Thursdays were his day off. Neji explained this to his father. The elder Hyuuga cursed.

"Then call a cab. I'm very busy, Neji, I don't have time to talk to you now. I will see you at home."

Hiashi hung up before Neji could explain to him that he had no money on him.

Neji frowned at his phone. Now what was he supposed to do? The Hyuuga mansion was an hour long walk away from the library. Normally that would be too bad, but it was dark out and he had to pass through some not-so-desirable blocks to get there.

He wished that he had drove to the library instead of taking the bus. He briefly thought of calling one of his friends, but dismissed the idea quickly. Lee couldn't drive, and Tenten didn't have a car. And that only left...

Neji brightened up immediately.

he could call Gaara!

* * *

**9:40PM**

- o -**  
**

"S'Gaara." The redhead mumbled into the phone as he set down a pair of queens.

"Hi Gaara! I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor...?"

Gaara nearly groaned aloud. _Fuck. I should've checked who was calling before I picked up. _"Yeah?"

"I'm at the library and I need a ride home. Could you come pick me up?"

"Aw, geez, baby, I dunno.." The redhead groaned, shooting a dirty look towards Kotetsu as the other male gathered up all of the chips from the center of the table. "I have to work tomorrow, I gotta get up early.."

"Please? No one else can come get me and I don't have any money on me.. plus it's really dark out and I'm all alone and-"

"Okay, okay. Stop whining." Gaara pressed a hand to his temple. "I'll come get you."

"Oh, thank you-" Gaara snapped his phone closed. Pocketing the object, he looked up to find that everyone at the table was looking at him.

"What?"

"Was that your _boyfriend_?" Izumo questioned innocently, setting off a collective burst of laughter from all around the table.

Gaara glared at the other male. "Shut up and deal me back in."

"Wait a minute… don't you have to somewhere to go? I'm sure the Hyuuga kid needs a bedtime story." Genma commented with a smirk, earning another round of laughter.

"Funny." Gaara said sarcastically, picking up his cards.

"Why are you still with him, anyway?" Genma continued, voicing the same question that Shukaku had been asking him for weeks. "I mean, it was a good idea the first night. But now it's kind of creepy."

"Yeah, we didn't know you were gonna fall in _love_ with him." Raidou said.

The redhead snorted. "I'm not in love with him."

Although he would never admit it to his friends, he actually didn't mind having Neji around. He had never been in a relationship before, and even though he really wouldn't consider himself in one now, it was still the closest he had ever come to dating. Sure, Neji was kind of clingy, and his spoiled rich kid attitude often got on Gaara's nerves, but he was truly the first person to ever want Gaara for more than a quick lay. And, if Gaara was being honest, Neji was also one of the most attractive people he had ever hooked up with. Even if they weren't having sex, Gaara still felt kind of proud to have Neji hanging off of his arm.

Gaara could vaguely remember what it was like to be in Neji's shoes. He had had a crush on someone once, when he was seven. It was a pretty, blonde haired girl named Samui. He had been obsessed with her, even though she was afraid of him. Everyone had been. Gaara could still remember how painful it had been when she had rejected him outright in front of everyone.

…But that was a long time ago. He drew himself from his thoughts, not wanting to go over that memory.

"He must be _amazing_ in bed, then." Genma commented. "Otherwise I have no idea why you're still bothering with him."

There was a short pause.

"…You _have_ fucked him, right?"

Gaara grunted. "Can we just finish the game?"

* * *

**10:23PM**

- o -**  
**

Neji crossed his arms and glanced at his watch for the third time in the last fifteen minutes. He had first called Gaara about forty minutes ago, and had been waiting on the steps of the library ever since. He had tried calling the redhead again, but for some reason Gaara wasn't picking up.

Neji huffed, running a hand through his hair and scowling as the 10:30 bus passed him by. He didn't want to be angry at his boyfriend, so he trust rationalizing the reason Gaara was taking so long in his mind. _He's probably stuck in traffic,_ he thought, then shook his head when he realized that theory made no sense at all. _Hmmm… he probably had to take a shower first. Or maybe he lost his car keys… or..._

"Well, well. Look what we have here."

Neji raised his head. Standing in front of him were a group of about six boys, all around his age. He recognized the boy who was speaking to him as Dosu, a boy who went to Hinata's school and was a grade above her. The rest were unfamiliar to him.

Neji tilted his head to the side. "May I help you with something?"

"Neji Hyuuga, right?"

"..Yes."

Dosu smirked. "Heh. Looks like it's your lucky day, Kidomaru."

Neji didn't know who this Kidomaru person was, but he decided right then and there that he did not want to find out. He stood up quickly, intent on starting the long walk back to his house. Hopefully Gaara would find him somewhere along the way.

However, when he moved, the other boys moved too. It suddenly seemed like they were more around Neji than they were in front of him. Neji looked around worriedly as his chances of exiting quickly diminished.

"Leave me alone." He said, backing up slightly as the boys continued to close in.

Dosu took a step forward and grabbed Neji's wrist. "Aw, don't be like that. We only want to talk."

Neji yanked his arm back. "Stop it!"

Neji didn't notice one of the boys moving behind him until it was too late. His arms were grabbed from behind, held tight in a strong grip. He gasped in surprise, attempting to struggle against the hold, but to no avail.

"Calm down. My friend just wants to talk to you, that's all."

Dosu stepped to the side, and another boy came forward. This one was taller than Dosu, and slightly tanner, with dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. Neji's heart sank into the pit of his stomach as he realized that he recognized this boy as well. He had only seen him once before, the one time he had been sent to pick up his younger sister when his father wasn't able to, a couple of weeks ago. This boy- Kidomaru- had been playing basketball with his friends, but had stopped as soon as he had seen Neji. The Hyuuga could recall the way the other boy's eyes had stayed on his figure while he waited in the yard for Hinata to come out.

Kidomaru's stopped directly in front of Neji, too close to him for comfort. His eyes traveled up the length of Neji's body, stopping at his face.

"Hey." He said softly.

Neji flinched backwards as the other boy reached out and took Neji's chin in his hand. The frightened Hyuuga resumed his struggling."Let go-"

"Stop fighting."

Neji tried twisting his head away, but Kidomaru held on, wrenching his head back in place. Tears stung Neji's eyes as he truly started to panic, struggling as hard as he could despite the fact that there was no way he could escape the tight grip one of the boys had on his arms.

"Come on.. I just want to.." Kidomaru cupped Neji's face with his hands, dark eyes focused on the Hyuuga's lips. "..._talk_ to you..." He started leaning in towards the other boy's lips.

Unexpectedly, he was jerked back by a strong hand gripping the collar of his jacket. He stumbled backwards, losing his balance and falling flat onto the ground.

Neji opened his eyes at the other boy's surprised yelp, and nearly cried when he saw Gaara's face, looking none too happy. The other boys were slowly backing away from around Neji.

Kidomaru got up from the ground, an angry glare on his face. "What the fuck!" He shouted, making a move to lunge at the redhead. A hand clamped around his wrist and pulled him back.

"Dude… that's _Gaara Sabaku_." One of the other boys whispered to him. Kidomaru froze.

Gaara ignored this entire exchange. He turned his glare on the boy who still had Neji's arms secured behind his back. "Let go of him."

The boy holding Neji in place didn't move, though Neji could feel him shaking. Gaara's eyes narrowed and he took a step forward, his hands balled into fists at his side. The boy made a frightened noise and let go of the Hyuuga before running to stand behind his leader.

Gaara turned and stared the group of boys down. They were obviously sizing the redhead up, trying to see if he was worth the effort. Kidomaru, in particular, looked as if he was torn between running away and wanting to tear Gaara apart. The redhead crossed his arms, looking more than ready to fight the boys if they decided to attack.

Then Dosu snorted, turning his back on the older male. "Whatever. C'mon, you guys." He began walking in the opposite direction, and the rest of his gang followed, Kidomaru shooting Gaara a murderous look as he turned.

"Punks." Gaara muttered before turning back to look at Neji, who was rubbing his forearms. "You okay?"

The Hyuuga nodded. "Y-yes.."

"Good." Gaara stuck his hands in his pockets and walked over to his car, parked on the curb. "Come on."

* * *

**10:39PM**

- o -**  
**

The car ride to Neji's house was deathly silent. Neji had been staring out of the window for the last ten minutes, apparently deep in thought about something. However, Gaara was having some thoughts of his own.

Who the hell did those kids think they were, touching his boyfr- Neji like that? If Gaara wasn't on parole, he would have beaten every single one of them into a bloody pulp, whether they were participating or not.

**How nice of you to protect Neji from those kids. But who's gonna protect him from you?** Shukaku cackled loudly in the redhead's mind. Gaara frowned and tuned him out.

"You're pretty quiet." He commented to Neji instead, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

Not receiving a response, he glanced over at the younger male. Neji was still staring out of the window, his hands clenched together in his lap. Gaara reached over and snapped a finger in front of his face. "Neji!"

The brunet blinked, slightly startled. "Yes?"

"Sure you're alright?"

"…I'm sure." The Hyuuga responded distractedly.

"Okay." Gaara shrugged, then slowed the car to a stop. "We're here."

Neji looked up for the first time, catching sight of the familiar dark gates of the Hyuuga estate. "..Oh." He said, an unreadable expression on his face. Gaara watched him evenly, wondering why the kid was just sitting there.

Neji unbuckled his seat belt. However, instead of getting out of the car, he turned to face the older male instead. He rested one hand on Gaara's chest and the other cupped his face as Neji pressed his lips to the redhead's with an unusual amount of force. Gaara, though slightly surprised, responded vigorously to the kiss. He would have thought that the last thing Neji wanted at the moment was physical contact, but apparently he was wrong.

They parted, but only slightly, Neji resting his forehead against the other male's. "Do you.. um.. want to come in?" He panted, face flushed and lips red.

Gaara raised an eyebrow. Was this leading to where he thought it was leading?

"Yeah.. sure."

Neji exhaled shakily, then smiled for the first time that evening. "Okay. Wait here." He said, kissing the redhead quickly before slipping out of the passenger seat.

**Don't get too excited. The kid's a tease.**

_I know that. But why else would he invite me inside?_

**To show you his action figure collection? You're gonna be terribly disappointed by the end of tonight. This is going to end just as badly as the night at the club.**

_I didn't realize you could predict the future, Shukaku. _

The entity laughed. **With you? It's practically common sense.**

Neji returned in five short minutes, jolting Gaara from his internal conversation with a soft tap on the window. He look up to see Neji waving at him. Turning off the engine, Gaara exited the car as casually as he could, trying not to look too excited.

Neji leaned up and kissed him softly. "I had to shut off all of the security cameras." He explained.

"Smart boy." Gaara wrapped an arm around his waist as they started walking up the long driveway. "Is your dad home?"

"No. He's working."

They reached the front door in less a minute, and there they paused to kiss enthusiastically against the railing for a few minutes. Gaara's blood boiled when Neji pulled away to murmur coquettishly, "We should go inside."

Gaara agreed wholeheartedly, and within seconds he was standing within the vestibule of the Hyuuga mansion. The first thing he caught sight of was a large, framed portrait high up on the wall of the first landing of a grand staircase. A gentle looking woman who greatly resembled Neji gazed back at him.

"That's my mother." Neji informed him, but Gaara was too distracted by his surroundings to respond. He next took in the large jade statues against the walls, reflected in the gleaming marble floor.

Gaara shrugged. "It's alright. I'm much more interested in your room, though."

A slow smile spread across Neji's face. "Well, let's go, then."

"N-N-Neji?" A soft, frightened voice came from the left.

Neji whirled around, alarmed. He sighed in relief when he saw that it was just his sister. "Oh. You scared me, Hinata."

Gaara examined the tiny, trembling girl peeking out from one of the doorways to the left with disinterest. She had darker hair than Neji, as well as rounder, more feminine features. Her pale eyes were wide with fear as she looked from Gaara to Neji, and back again.

The younger male made hurried introductions. "This is my sister, Hinata. Hinata, this is Gaara and we're gonna be upstairs for a while. Don't tell daddy, okay?"

Hinata turned bright red, her ivory eyes widening. "B-but-"

"What?" Neji asked impatiently, crossing his arms as he looked down at the girl.

"...Ha-Hanabi is s-sleeping. In h-her room." Hinata squeaked, hiding behind her hands.

"Oh. " Neji frowned, tapping a finger to his chin. His face then lit up as a thought occurred to him.

"Would you like to see the pool?"

* * *

**10:56PM**

- o -**  
**

Gaara had no time at all to explore the rest of the Hyuuga mansion, but he was definitely okay with that. Maybe it had something to do with the way Neji was looking at him, glancing being his should every couple of minutes with half lidded eyes and a teasing smile. The redhead barely had enough presence of mind to grab a bottle of lotion from the storage room (which was the most luxurious storage room he had ever seen) while Neji went and got towels for them.

The grounds behind the Hyuuga mansion were as vast and as well-kept as Gaara expected it them to be. A large garden in the shape of a half-circle, created a sort of barrier around the back of the house. A large swimming pool, at least 15 meters across, was enclosed in the barrier, as well as a victorian gazebo bisecting the land.

Gaara walked the length of the pool, down to the more shallow end. He had never learned how to swim, so he didn't want to risk drowning, and especially not tonight. Not bother to wait for Neji, he stripped off all of his clothes and lowered himself into the cool water at the four foot mark.

Neji set the towels down on a patio table before kicking off his shoes and padding barefoot over to the deep end of the pool. "Is it cold?" He asked, I've never gone swimming at night before."

It was a little chilly, but not unbearably so. "I'll keep you warm." Gaara told the other male with a smirk, walking forward until the water was just above waist high.

Neji blushed lightly. "Turn around."

"Come on, Neji, really?" Gaara said with a roll of his eyes.

"Turn around!"

Gaara sighed and turned his back on the younger male. He heard the rustling noises of clothing being taken off, before the sound of Neji exhaling, and then, finally, a splash. Gaara turned to face Neji as he swam over to the redhead and resurfaced, shivering lightly as he wrapped his arms across his chest.

"Freezing." He said softly, looking up at the redhead.

"You'll get used to it." Gaara told him. Not seeing a point in wasting anymore time, he reached out for the younger male and cupped his face in his hands, trapping dark, wet strands of hair beneath his palms. He leaned in and kissed the boy slowly. Neji wound his arms around the taller male's shoulders, parting his lips and granting Gaara's tongue access to his mouth.

Gaara slid his palms from Neji's face to his chest, pausing to briefly tweak an already stiff nipple before continuing their journey downward and settling onto his hips. He broke the kiss, then licked his down way down the Hyuuga's throat.

"I want to thank you." Neji said softly, tilting his head up and allowing Gaara more access. A dark smirk speed across the older male's lips.

"Yeah?" Gaara asked, sucking a dark bruise into the boy's neck. "How?"

"Anyway you want." Neji said softly.

Gaara's blood practically _ignited_. He had been waiting for so long to hear those words. Continuing to busy himself with the younger male's neck, his hand breached the unspoken barrier and wrapped around the boy's rapidly forming erection. Neji bit his lip and tilted his head back, his fingers tightening their grip on the ledge of the pool. "Hnng..."

The redhead pressed closer, enjoying the wet slide of Neji's warm chest against his own. He grasped one of the boy's ass cheeks underwater, loving the way Neji moaned and arched up against him. Two fingers curled around and pressed against Neji's opening, making the boy gasp. Gaara stifled the noise by kissing him soundly.

"Th-this is what you want?" Neji breathed into the cool night air when the redhead pulled away. Gaara nodded, smoothing Neji's hair away from his face. Neji looked at him for a long time, his hesitancy shining through his eyes. It seemed as if the confidence the boy had before had faded, leaving Gaara more aware of the fact the Neji was still just a child now than ever before.

"…I'm scared." He finally admitted.

"Don't be." Gaara embraced him, wrapping his arms around Neji shoulders and pulling him closer. "I won't hurt you."

"Are you sure?"

"I promise." The older male grinned, white teeth glinting in the dark.

Neji met the other male's gaze, then turned around slowly so he was facing the other direction. Gaara's mouth went dry at the sight of the younger male's pale backside. He couldn't believe that this was actually happening. He felt almost giddy and he wasn't sure why; he had never felt that way about anyone before.

"I'm gonna prepare you first, alright?" He murmured huskily into Neji's ear, pressing his lips against the wet hair at the side of the boy's face.

"…Okay."

"Lean forward." Gaara instructed, sliding both hands down the boy's sides. Neji did as he was told. Gaara followed the line of his spine with soft kisses, stopping when he reached Neji's tailbone. At the same time, he slid one of his fingers up the younger male's crack, stopping to press lightly at the boy's entrance. Neji shivered, moving his elbows closer together on the tiles.

Gaara pulled back, then grabbed the lotion that he had previously set down at the edge of the pool and dispensed an even amount into his hand, then liberally coated one finger with it. Using an amount of care that he had never used on anyone before, Gaara slowly inserted a finger into the boy's opening. Neji tensed up, making a soft sort of choking noise. Gaara wrapped the other hand around the boy's cock once more, hoping to distract him from the pain.

"Shhh.. you're doing good, Neji." Gaara said, wishing that he could skip all of this comforting nonsense and go straight to the main event. He steadily glided his finger in and out of his opening, watching Neji's body gradually relaxing in a slow unwind.

"I'm gonna put another one in, okay?"

"O-okay." Neji's voice was faint.

Gaara did as he said he would, sliding another digit in alongside the first one. He scissored the two of them, wincing slightly when Neji made a groan of discomfort. _Don't hurt him. You're going to scare him away._

Gaara leaned down and kissed the boy between his shoulder blades, easing up on the movements of his fingers. He changed the angle, then sank his fingers in deeper. A grin spread across his face as he finally brushed against that small, hidden gland, causing Neji to arch and make a loud, surprised gasping noise. "G-Gaara..?"

The older male rubbed at the spot again, causing the same reaction. Neji shuddered, turning to look at the older male with wide eyes. "Wh-what…?"

Gaara stretched his body over Neji's back, leaning forward so that he could meet the boy's lips with his own. They kissed twice before Gaara whispered, "Turn back around." Looking slightly dazed, Neji obeyed as Gaara pulled back.

"One more." The redhead murmured, inserting his ring finger along with the rest. This time, Neji made no noise of unease; in fact, he seemed to welcome the intrusion. Gaara watched, transfixed, as Neji pushed his hips back against his hand.

He was enchanted by everything about the boy; the noises he was making, the rolling of his hips, the way his dark, glossy hair looked like plastered against his back and shimmering in the moonlight. He shook his head, realizing that he had been fingering the boy for far too long. It was time to get to the main event.

Gaara extracted his fingers from the trembling younger male. He quickly slicked his cock up with the lotion that remained on his hand. "You ready?" He asked, gripping both of Neji's hips. Leaning forward, he rubbed his erection against the other male's hole.

"W-wait."

_Fuck. _That was the last word Gaara wanted to hear right now.

Biting back a growl, the older male pulled back, expecting the worse. If Neji made him stop now, he didn't know what he would do.

Neji turned himself around once more, meeting Gaara's aqua eyes with his own ivory ones. "I want- I want to see you." He said shakily, placing both of his hands on Gaara's chest.

Gaara paused at the unusual (for him, anyway) request.

"...Alright."

Smiling softly, Neji drew him down for a sweet kiss. Gaara, although getting to be quite impatient, kissed back, just glad that the boy wasn't backing out.

For a quick, fleeting second, Gaara felt something akin to regret. This was Neji's fist time- he shouldn't be outside. He should be on a bed, with soft pillows and someone who actually loved him-

From deep within Gaara's subconscious, Shukaku let out a menacing growl.

_Right._ Gaara didn't waste any more time worrying about it. He gathered the smaller male up in his arms, and Neji instinctively wound his arms around Gaara's neck. His hands curved around Neji's hips, hooking the boy's legs in the crux of his elbows. He grasped his cock with one hand, then slowly guided the other male onto it.

Neji choked on a breath as he was finally penetrated. He clenched on to the redhead's neck, burying his face in his shoulder and chanting the older male's name over and over as the redhead entered him. "..Gaara, Gaara, Gaara.." He moaned, squeezing his eyes shut so tightly that tears formed at the corners. Inch by inch, Neji's body sank onto his erection, until he finally reached the base. Gaara released a long breath he didn't know he was holding.

"You okay?" He breathed, actually finding it difficult to reign himself in. He could hardly believe that after seven long weeks he was finally, finally inside Neji. The younger boy was gloriously tight, inner walls clamped snugly around Gaara's cock. The redhead had to take a few deep, ragged breaths to stop himself from coming right away.

"Nnn..." Neji responded, voice thick with emotion as he threaded his hand up through the short red hair from the base of Gaara's skull. "I.. it's..."

As much as he wanted to start screwing the boy right then and there, they were in a difficult position to work with and Gaara knew that they would both enjoy it more if they were more comfortable. "I need you to let go, and hold yourself up on the pool." He murmured in Neji's ear, following the command with a short nip to the boy's earlobe. Neji reluctantly let go of his hold around the redhead's neck, and allowed him to guide his upper body to the edge of the pool, propping himself up with his elbows.

He was slightly unhappy about not being able to touch Gaara, but forgot all about it when Gaara slowly withdrew from his body, then thrust inside him. Neji's eyeslids fluttered as Gaara's cock pressed firmly against his prostate before retreating. "_Aaahh_..." He had never felt anything like this before. The feeling of someone actually being _inside him_ was so unfamiliar that he could scarcely believe it was happening.

Gaara's hips started up a slow, achingly delicious rhythm. The water lapped onto Neji's torso with every instroke, making the his skin glisten in the moonlight. Gaara appreciated the juxtaposition of the boy's pale, spread thighs molded around his own, tanner hips. He panted as he continued driving into the soft, wet body below him.

Neji's voice was low and gasping, his slim body undulating with ever thrust. The sight had Gaara gritting his teeth, fighting the urge to just slam into the boy. He felt as if he was doing something very, very wrong so he didn't understand why it felt so_ right_.

This was illegal. He could go back to jail for this. For Neji. _Nobody_ was worth that.

But Gaara couldn't make himself stop.

As a matter of fact, his pace quickened, fighting against the weight of the water to deliver hard strokes to Neji's prostate. The boy's moaning grew louder. It became increasingly more difficult for Neji to support himself on the edge of the pool as he rapidly approached his climax.

Feeling particularly generous, Gaara wrapped his hand around Neji's cock once more, stroking in time to his own thrusts. Neji's eyes rolled up and his lips parted in a silent scream at the overload of sensation.

"Gaara… I'm-" Neji found himself unable to complete the sentence, as the pleasure become too much for him to bear. Water sloshed all around their two bodies, but neither male paid it any mind. The younger male's legs tightened around Gaara's waist, and he let out a long, drawn out wail as he climaxed, eyes shut tight as he arched back.

Gaara found himself transfixed by the boy's orgasm. He snapped out of it when Neji's arms started to slip from the edge of the pool. Quickly, but gently, Gaara pulled the boy up from the water and over to a slightly more shallow part of the pool, one large hand supporting his back as he laid the other boy onto the tiles. Neji panted as he allowed the redhead to maneuver him around.

He returned both hands to Neji's hips and slid back inside the boy, bowing his body over Neji's and spreading kisses down his chest. This new position made it far easier for him to thrust into the younger male's body, and he took advantage of it, slamming into the younger male with as much strength as he dared to use. Neji moaned weakly, arms above his head as he watched Gaara through half-lidded eyes.

Gaara wanted to force himself to last longer, to be able to enjoy this experience for as long as he could, but it was just too much. Neji's tightness, his _willingness_, the fact that he had just made his worst enemy's son come all over himself in his own backyard... it was everything that Gaara wanted. Everything that he _deserved_. And it was all culminating into one tall peak of pleasure.

"Uuhn..." The redhead groaned, clenching his fist on the tiles as his orgasm hit. "..Shit. I fucking _love you_, Neji."

He was too caught up in his climax to hear the boy's breath catch. The redhead's hips jerked unevenly as he spilled inside of the boy, emitting a low moan. Neji watched him reverently, his eyes glassy with unshed tears of joy.

Finally, Gaara slumped over onto Neji's body, exhausted. Neji lowered an arm so he could comb his fingers through the older male's hair.

"Oh, _Gaara_." He said happily. "I love you too."

"Hn." The redhead responded, completely ignoring the boy.

He was too busy imagining the look on his friends' faces when he told them the news tomorrow.


End file.
